Eilish Butler trained in classical singing in the Netherlands, holds an M.A. in Chant &amp; Song from the University of Limerick, and studied vocal pedagogy and therapeutic singing in Germany. A Heartfulness practitioner since 1996, she has seen, over years of teaching, how Uncovering the Voice nurtures spiritual awakening, wellbeing, and vocal capacity.

eilish-butler.webp

Eilish Butler

<h4 style="text-align:justify;">Irish singer and teacher EILISH BUTLER&nbsp;combines the mystical chant of Saint Hildegard von Bingen (1098–1176) with the evolutionary path of Uncovering the Voice, combining her passions of spirituality and music.</h4>To sing Hildegard is to have a direct experience of her <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/the-power-of-zero" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">spirituality</a> and, subsequently, my own. There is no more direct way to understand and feel Hildegard’s vision of the world than to sing any of her seventy-seven compositions from the Symphonia armoniae celestium revelationem. The Symphonia is Hildegard’s collection of chants comprising antiphons, hymns, sequences, and responsories. It establishes her as the first named composer in the Western world, an extraordinary feat given that she was a woman at the end of the eleventh century.Whether it happens instantly or incrementally, when I sing Hildegard, I feel the visionary power of her chant opening me up to a new way of being; I enter a process of spiritual exploration in which the voice leads the way. For each singer, this is personal, touching us directly and deeply as only the evolutionary power of love can. Hildegard understood how love can be harnessed and channeled through her chant.Just as St. Augustine is thought to have said, “Qui bene cantat bis orat [to sing is to pray twice],” by which we might understand that singing amplifies the power of prayer, Hildegard shows us that through harnessing the evolutionary power of love, singing can transform us by revealing to us our natural embodied spirituality. Hildegard’s cosmology centers on the drama of the fall from grace when Adam and Eve were ejected from paradise. For her, chant is a medium for reunifying body and soul and returning humankind to its original perfection or attunement. The world is a hymn of praise to God, in which Heaven and Earth are connected through human beings who sing themselves into a state of oneness with all creation.I have always hesitated to call Hildegard’s composition “song,” for originating as it did within a monastic context, chant does not have the same performative aspirations as song; rather, it springs from a <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/the-benefits-of-a-meditative-mind" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">meditative</a>, prayerful, internalized condition, which aspires to a state of integration with the sacred source of the self. When my meditation guide, Chariji, once said, “I do not discover anything but rather reveal what is already there,” I believe he implied that an effective spiritual practice requires an attitude of service to revealing the true nature of the original condition. Once revealed, this eternal essence—the light at the heart of the human being—has the capacity to guide the soul on its homeward journey to the source.&nbsp;In the same way, the voice can undergo a process of uncovering, leading to a soul connection with a tonal reality that is beyond our normal perception. In previous centuries, our ancestors named this “the music of the spheres.” By gradually uncovering the layers that obstruct the voice from knowing its true nature and function, not only does the voice become more beautiful and authentic, but it is also capable of connecting us to higher dimensions. In this way, the voice can open the embodied human being to the stream of cosmic wisdom, thereby revealing our innate spirituality.Singing, especially prayerful singing like chant, can represent an evolutionary path in its own right. It draws on both spiritual science and the esoteric wisdom of uncovering the voice, along with the technical knowledge of the instrument's anatomy and physiology, and can lead to greater awareness and enhanced perception of the music of the soul. Hildegard, the great Mystica, was nine hundred years ahead of us, and her chants call us into alignment with this wisdom. To sing her music is to allow ourselves to be revealed.&nbsp;

A Touch of Heaven

The author of The Sacred Work of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren, Elaine has spent her career working with multiple generations from children to elders. Her expertise is in the area of trauma, loss, life transitions and inter-generational communication. Elaine is a nationally respected coach, trainer and therapist known for her common sense approach to helping her expand their human potential to live an inspired, meaningful life.

Elaine-K-Williams.jpg

Elaine K. Williams

<h4>ELAINE K. WILLIAMS shares some simple and practical tips for ensuring a sense of continuity for children in their family, community and on planet Earth.</h4>At some point in our lives, or perhaps at many points in our lives, we ask the question, “Who am I?” At times like these, we are looking beyond the obvious, beyond our names and the names of the cities and states we came from, into the layers beneath our surface identities. We may feel the need for a deeper sense of purpose in our lives, or we may be ready to accommodate a more complex understanding of the situation in which we find ourselves. We may connect with our internal voice, finally, attending to our intuition.Whatever the case, the question of who we are is a seed that can bear much fruit. It can send us on an exploration of our ancestry, or the past lives of our soul. It can call us to take up some form of mindfulness in order to discover that voice deep within us that seems to know the answers to a multitude of questions. It can draw our attention so deeply inward that we find the spark of spirit that connects us to every living thing in the universe – that mystical moment we intimately know Oneness.<hr><h5 style="text-align:center;">One of the many things you do as parenting grandparents is to give your grandchildren a sense of belonging to a family, whose ancestors left a legacy of values, beliefs, stories and more. This sense of belonging to a lineage that describes who came before us helps define who we are in the present and the legacy we will leave to those who come after us.</h5><hr>While it can do all these things and more, I want to focus on how it allows us to explore our ancestry. One of the many things you do as parenting grandparents is to give your grandchildren a sense of belonging to a family, whose ancestors left a legacy of values, beliefs, stories and more. This sense of belonging to a lineage that describes who came before us helps define who we are in the present and the legacy we will leave to those who come after us.<img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/who_am_i2_5ea68a621d.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-07T11:26:27.190Z">While your grandchildren may not be thinking of this right now, it is very re-assuring for them to know they are part of a family with roots that nourish not only them, but will nourish their children and grandchildren, also. Here are some ways to keep them connected and rooted to their heritage.1. Share your stories about when you were growing up and what the world around you was like. 2. Show them pictures of your parents, their greatgrandparents, and talk about where they came from and what they did for a living. 3. Talk about each generation’s extended family, not just brothers and sisters, but cousins, aunts and uncles. 4. Buy an inexpensive book that inquires about your life. One I completed for my grandchildren is called, Grandma Tell Me Your Story, or Memories for My Grandchild, both found on Amazon or in bookstores. Don’t just write your answers to the questions, talk about your answers at dinner, or dessert time or when you gather in the evening before watching TV.This will be the gift of gifts for your grandchildren. As a parenting grandparent you have given them a home where they are safe, secure and loved. Now give them a sense of pride in their roots by making sure they know where they have come from and who came before them. This not only establishes a foundation for the development of their identity, but in large measure will help them answer the question “Who Am I?” as they grow up.With gratitude, Elaine<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Article by ELAINE K. WILLIAMS</h4><hr>

Who am I?

Eleanor Roosevelt

Eleanor Roosevelt (1884–1962) was an American political figure, diplomat, and activist. She was the First Lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945, during her husband Franklin D. Roosevelt's four terms as president, making her the longest-serving first lady of the US. Through her travels, public engagement, and advocacy, she redefined the role of first lady. She served as a US Delegate to the UN General Assembly from 1945 to 1952, and took a leading role in designing the text and gaining international support for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.&nbsp;

Eleanor Roosevelt.webp

Self-friendship

How character is built

The beauty of dreams

We must work at peace

Elisabeth is an occupational medicine specialist, who helps people with neurodevelopmental disorders at her clinic in the south of France. She is also a Montessori classroom director for children aged 3 to 6, and for special needs children. Birgit is a general practitioner from Germany, who also specializes in neurodevelopmental disorders. She has completed diplomas in homeopathy, TCM nutrition, and other body therapies, focusing on therapies that have a neuro-integrative approach. Both are also trainers of Brighter Minds, a program for cognitive development in children.

Elisabeth-Bouderlique-Birgit-Durr-150x150-1.jpg

Elisabeth Bouderlique and Birgit Dürr

Neuro-development in children - part 1

<hr><h4>DR. ELISABETH BOUDERLIQUE and DR. BIRGIT DÜRR have specialized in behavioral disorders in children from a neurodevelopmental perspective. They were interviewed by PURNIMA RAMAKRISHNA for World Mental Health Day, October 2020, and in part 2 they explore reflexes, the brain hemispheres, and creating rhythm in the brain.</h4><hr>BD:The two most important aspects of supporting the development of the brain are integrating primitive reflexes through motor exercises and stimulating the underdeveloped hemisphere, mainly with sensory stimulation.If there is no damage or pathology in the brain, if it is an electrical imbalance, it can be corrected. And when the imbalance in the brain is corrected, all of the other imbalances are most often corrected as well.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/neuro_development_part2_2_4e25afd5c3.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-10T13:18:57.671Z" alt=""><hr>Q: Primitive reflexes. Can you tell us more about their role in brain development?EB: Primitive reflexes are automatic, stereotypical movements essential for the development in the womb and during the baby’s first months. They are part of a normal pediatrician’s examination. These primitive reflexes develop in the brainstem before birth and contribute to the development of the nervous system. They help the baby to come out of the birth canal and are the foundation necessary for the baby’s development. They are essential for survival during the first weeks of life. These reflexes allow the baby to interact with the world and thus contribute to the development of their brain. Most of these primitive reflexes are integrated (meaning we don’t see them anymore) during the first year of life, as a more complex part of the brain takes control.The most common primitive reflexes are:Fear Paralysis Reflex<ul><li>Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex</li><li>Asymmetric Tonic Neck Reflex</li><li>Moro Reflex</li><li>Spinal Galant</li><li>Symmetric Tonic Neck Reflex</li><li>Babinski Reflex</li><li>Palmar Grasp</li><li>Rooting /Sucking</li><li>Snout Reflex</li></ul>These reflexes, which persist beyond the first year of life, are called “persistent primitive reflexes.” They can affect normal neurological development, and therefore be the cause of a multitude of symptoms, including learning difficulties and behavioral issues. There are simple exercises that can help to integrate them.I will give you one example, because most people know the Moro Reflex. If you make a loud noise, the baby will suddenly open their arms and close them again. If this reflex persists for too long, it becomes the root of many symptoms, such as impulsive behavior, hypersensitivity to light, sound or sudden movement, dislike of change, difficulty with new or stimulating experiences, chronic anxiety, uncontrollable flushing when embarrassed or nervous, mood swings, and aggressive outbursts. This reflex can persist even in an adult, so it is important to look for these primitive reflexes.I won’t go into too much detail about brain development, but it’s important to remember that the brain develops from the bottom up, meaning from the brainstem to the cortex, and then the cortex regulates everything from top to bottom. So, it’s important to help the brain develop from the bottom up, by integrating the primitive reflexes which are located in the brainstem.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/neuro_development_part2_3_62df8e71fa.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-10T13:20:27.441Z" alt=""><hr>Q: Can you tell us more about the hemispheres?BD: That’s a good question, because to understand what is happening in the brain of a child with neurodevelopmental issues, we have to understand the different functions or tasks of the two hemispheres.The right hemisphere is online first. It sees the big picture. It is there to protect us. It is cautious. The right brain is responsible for non-verbal communication, which is at the core of socialization. It forms relationships. It is able to read between the lines. The right hemisphere learns subconsciously, implicitly. We don’t form conscious memories in the first three years of life. That’s what we call “childhood amnesia.” It is responsible for reading comprehension and mathematical reasoning. It deals also with gross motor skills. It is responsible for long-term, non-rewarded, sustained attention, like a hunter waiting for hours for his prey. It also deals with withdrawal behavior and negative emotions, such as fear, guilt, and shame. The right hemisphere will down-regulate our immune system.The left hemisphere sees details, like the individual trees in a forest. It is all about “why.” For example, if you think of a child that is 2 or 3 years old, looking at small animals on the ground and asking, “Why this?” It deals with fine motor skills. It is the logical, sequential brain, looking for patterns. It is responsible for reading words, spelling, and basic arithmetic. The left hemisphere forms conscious memories. It deals with approach behavior and emotions, such as anger, surprise, and happiness. It is the hemisphere that is naturally impulsive, or even compulsive or obsessive. It is responsible for short-term, goal-directed, reward-reinforced attention. Video games will stimulate or even overstimulate the left side of the brain.As an analogy, imagine a car going downhill. When you remove your foot from the brake, the car goes forward by itself. Think of the right hemisphere as the brake. If there is not enough “brake,” the left hemisphere will start automatically.Q: Can you give us a concrete example, so that we can understand what happens with a child who has ADHD?EB: A child diagnosed with ADHD usually has underdeveloped, under-integrated networks in the right hemisphere. The child will present symptoms related to right-hemisphere delay and a left hemisphere that is too strong. The child can be hyperactive, obsessive, compulsive, and overly focused on details, not paying attention to the big picture. They like to do things over and over again. They can have tics – motor tics and vocal tics. A strong left brain will be responsible for anger outbursts and hypersensitivity to sound, especially high frequency sounds, so you can see the child covering their ears when there is too much noise. The symptoms related to a low activity on the right hemisphere will be poor, long-term sustained attention, and poor non-verbal communication, so they will have difficulty picking up on facial emotions and social cues. The child can also have poor mathematical reasoning skills, and difficulty comprehending what they are reading. The right brain will not play its role of inhibition, so the heart rate can be high, and the immune response will be too strong with food sensitivities and environmental allergies, for example.This imbalance will persist throughout the person’s whole life and this is why there are epidemics in these issues in the adult population. A child will not grow out of these issues, but may just express them in a different way as an adult. The imbalance will still be there. It is not a coincidence that 1 out of 5 children have some kind of learning or behavioral issue, and 1 out of 5 adults have some kind of mental issue.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/neuro_development_part2_4_719f9c800b.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-10T13:22:52.349Z" alt=""><hr>Q: My next question follows on from this. Could you expand on the connection between a brain imbalance and the effect it has on the overall health of a person?BD: Almost all kids with developmental imbalances not only struggle in school with learning and behavior, but suffer from other health issues as well. In this context, it is interesting to look at the Adverse Childhood Experiences Study (ACE Study), which is one of the largest investigations ever conducted to assess the association between childhood exposure to traumatic stressors and health and well-being later on in life.The story started with a study at an obesity clinic in California in the early ’90s. People were there to lose weight and after some time 50% of people dropped out. The interesting thing was that the people who dropped out were the people who had the best results, meaning they were losing weight. So the researchers asked why. What they found when they interviewed these people was that the majority had experienced abuse in childhood. After that, they investigated more than 17,000 patients about their experience of childhood trauma. There were about ten adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) that played a major role in health later on in life – emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, physical neglect, emotional neglect, exposure to domestic violence, and household mental illness, to mention a few.They also found that there was a correlation between the number of ACEs a person had experienced and the chance of poor outcomes later in life. When they followed people during later life, they saw that they were 400 to 1200% more likely to struggle with health-related issues like diabetes, cancer, depression, heart disease, autoimmune issues and earlier death.So what is the relationship between a child having an ACE and a child with a neurological developmental delay? They both have disrupted neurodevelopment. When a child is neglected or abused, neurological development is disrupted. Whether a child has a delay in neurodevelopment due to an ACE or for the other reasons we mentioned before, it always has an impact on social, emotional, and cognitive development, and a severe impact on the whole body and overall health. This leads to an increased risk of developing chronic diseases.To round off the picture of this topic, we would like to read to you from Dr. Melillo’s book, Reconnected Kids: The Symphony of the Brain.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/neuro_development_part2_5_9776a7964d.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-10T13:24:28.843Z" alt=""><hr><hr><h5>“We know it is not the instrument which is broken.&nbsp; The musicians just need more practice and encouragement.&nbsp; We are trying to find the networks in the brain&nbsp; which are malfunctioning and we are stimulating them&nbsp; so they get back in rhythm with the rest of the brain.”</h5><hr><hr>EB: Dr. Melillo wrote: “Think of the brain as if it was an orchestra, with thoughts and actions as the notes that change moment to moment to create a musical composition. When the conductor, which is the brain, directs the musicians, which are the neurons, to use their instruments, which are the synapses, to create music, which are thoughts and actions, the music begins to play.“Sometimes the conductor signals the right side to play louder while he tones down the left side. The key to both sides playing beautiful music together is that each musician must not only play the right notes but must play them at precisely the right time. This ebb and flow must be perfectly timed. A musician might miss a beat and subsequently, the two sides will get out of harmony.“We know it is not the instrument which is broken. The musicians just need more practice and encouragement. We are trying to find the networks in the brain which are malfunctioning and we are stimulating them so they get back in rhythm with the rest of the brain.”Q: Thank you Elisabeth and Birgit.Watch the full webinar here: <a href="https://youtu.be/AvEB65sAHiU">https://youtu.be/AvEB65sAHiU</a><hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/neuro_development_part2_6_8b02976bae.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-10T13:25:56.740Z" alt=""><hr><hr><hr>

Neuro-development in children - part 2

Elisabeth Hower

<h4>ELISABETH HOWER is like many other young people in the US who have found themselves suddenly out of work and wondering how to navigate the new landscape of their lives. Here she shares her experience of Day 7 of quarantine.</h4><hr>It is Sunday night. Jobless and quarantined, I am sitting at my rickety kitchen table. A flea market find, painted haphazardly with a thin coat of faded white, as if the paint itself was sepia-toned. It was chipped when I bought it, that was part of the charm, and it’s become more charming over the years with use and a scandalous absence of coasters. I’ve got two pots of vegetables on the stove. I should have gallons of stock by the end, if I don’t let the gentle lullaby of the simmer send me to sleep first. Phoebe, my little dog who’s recently been living her best life since Mom is home all the time, sniffs the air optimistically. It is my Day 7.I began wearing make up again on Day 4 because of how tired I looked in the mirror; it reminded me too much of the economy. I curled my hair on Day 5, but couldn’t justify using hairspray. Down the road I’ll take a look at why I need make up and a hair wand to achieve my “normal,” but for now, in this new landscape, I’m taking it one step at a time. Sure, an acoustic Joshua Radin playing in the background perhaps feels especially obvious, as does my glass of brandy. Sue the new virus. I’m adjusting.<hr>I can be thankful for the pauses. For the slowdown. For the time to question my old normal and new. To daydream, create, catch up with old friends, let go of petty grievances, look inward at shadows long ignored.<hr>I’m out of work, like thousands of us. Adjusting to that, too. Humbled and applying for aid. Rationing my food to reduce the number of required trips to the grocery store. In moments of optimism, I reflect on my time spent living in France in my 20s. So inconceivable was it to me that stores would be closed on a Sunday. I’d been living in New York, where everything is accessible at any hour of the day or night. And then there was Amazon Prime, which changed things yet again. But then, in France, I began to love Sundays. I began to love Saturday evenings, because it buzzed with the anticipation – was I prepared? Did I have everything I needed for the following day? I had to acclimate, and found the beauty in the surrender of the slower pace. My mind wandered more, my imagination nourished by the boredom, rather than dulled by it. I actually felt rested for the following week.Little did I know.This is not a dreamy Sunday. Most stores are closed. Every day. It’s not entirely clear when that will change. There are real issues of survival, and we haven’t even reached the apex of this thing. We are living in a science-fiction film. I’m having moments of panic. I’m having moments of peace. But I am mostly just doing what I can. Preparing for dozens of Sundays. Isolating. Cooking. Washing. Zoom-ing. And also taking breaks from all that. From the doing. Accepting a slow descent into stillness. Into silence. Into a new – albeit hopefully temporary – normal.Mother Earth is bringing us to our knees. It’s the closest thing to an act of God that I’ve seen in my lifetime.My phone is six years old. Eighty in phone years. The keyboard is so buggy it often takes fifteen minutes to write a text. It freezes. It shuts down at will. It must be in the exact right position to charge, so temperamental it has become in its twilight years. If things really hit the fan, I need a new one. So I hopped on the phone to Adele at T-Mobile and set about choosing a new one. She was patient with me for a solid 45 minutes, as I kept reading reviews and waffling between two models in real time. And then, what color? (Oh, the banality of our focus in times of strife.) “Take your time,” she said, “I’m the same way when I try on new clothes.” I could have kissed her through the phone.When we were through, and she read her script, “Is there anything else I can assist you with today?” I couldn’t help myself. The world is so stressed right now, I began. We are all tense. We are all on edge, and gripping. You are so kind, and I cannot tell you how much I appreciate that kindness.<img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/day7_2_f69347f03c.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-05T06:31:09.390Z">Adele paused. She agreed. Told me where she was located. The feeling there was the same. “You are such a happy person,” she said, much to my surprise. “This is the only way through. To fight for our happiness, and keep spreading it.” I started to cry. “Don’t cry,” Adele implored, “Just keep fighting for your happiness.”I don’t know what will happen next. Or how I’ll survive if this thing lasts as long as it potentially could. And I’m very aware that I’m in a better position than most. But speaking to Adele, I am reconsidering my goals for this time. More, “How can I assist?” and less “Will I be okay?” The latter query won’t go away, at least for a while, but the former goes a long way in soothing it.Phoebe has requested I stop staring at a screen, as I promised a half an hour ago. I’ve been gazing blankly, hoping a plan for “the fight for happiness” would appear, as if from General Patton himself. But this will take some time. In the moments between, I can be thankful for the pauses. For the slowdown. For the time to question my old normal and new. To daydream, create, catch up with old friends, let go of petty grievances, look inward at shadows long ignored.Mostly, I’m hoping this is a time we can all notice the details. The scuffed table. The downcast looks at Trader Joe’s. The hopeful ones, too. If we can all see each other a bit more, and do what we can, there might just be a way out of this, after all.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Article by ELISABETH HOWER</h4><hr>

Day 7

elisabeth-kubler-ross.webp

Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

The silence within yourself

Elizabeth Crichton lives in Sydney, Australia, and is now retired after an active and varied career. The foundation of her life is an inner one, based on meditation. Love of nature and eating organic food have lead her to grow her own fruit and vegetables.

elizabeth-crichton-img.jpg

Elizabeth Crichton

I first discovered Permaculture in 2008. I had no idea what it was all about but immediately felt at home with the simple, delightful, welcoming folk and very good vibes all round.I was fascinated by the concepts presented, the simplicity, the wonderful and creative ways people had implemented ideas, and the concern for people in every sense. It all tied into my own value and belief system. I was most impressed that permaculture is all about working with nature rather than against it, integrating all human activities into a whole system.I discovered that permaculture has a foundation of:<ul><li>Care of the earth: provision for all life systems to continue and multiply,</li><li>Care of people: provision for people to access those resources necessary to their existence, and</li><li>Share surplus: it sets limits to consumption.</li></ul><hr><h5 style="text-align:center;">“The concept of Permaculture was developed in Tasmania in the late 1970s by Bill Mollison and David Holmgren, and from this humble beginning, Permaculture has spread to just about every corner of the globe, and has been adapted for a large range of climates. Permaculture is a holistic design system for creating sustainable self-managing living environments and its design principles are used to create pathways to reasonable and sustainable usage of the earth’s natural resources.” &nbsp; <a href="//www.permacultureprinciples.com">www.permacultureprinciples.com</a></h5><hr>Soon I realised I needed knowledge and skills. So I booked myself into an Introduction to Permaculture course. Gosh what a revelation! Even though the ‘gardening’ aspect of permaculture is one very small part of it, it was from this course that I set about transforming my entire garden and home. The local group helped me to dig swales, and water tanks were installed as well as solar panels on my roof.Permaculture replicates nature. Studying how forests mature from plants growing in succession is fascinating. On a bare piece of land, weeds grow first, then small bushes and herbs, pioneer plants which fix nitrogen in the soil to help other plants to grow, and so on, until a canopy layer of tall trees is reached. Thus forests are built up of seven layers, and this is what we replicate in Permaculture when planting out a food forest. This I have done in my garden, front and back, so I now have over seventy fruit trees as well as my veggie patches for daily use.In order to minimise work and maximise production, the system is integrated so that everything has a purpose and works together. Animals are a part of this integrated system as they do much of the work. For example, my chickens are useful for cleaning up the bugs, producing manure for fertiliser and producing eggs.A principal idea is to form a closed loop so that things are recycled. Composting all living matter and using worm farms ensures good nutrients are fed to the plants and at minimum cost.What fun it is to eat directly from the garden, knowing that it is all organic – no pesticides or herbicides to compromise my health. And all this on a little less than a quarter acre suburban block.<hr><h5 style="text-align:center;">“Permaculture integrates people into Nature’s design. A permaculture design provides us with shelter, food, water, income, community and aesthetic and spiritual fulfilment within a balanced and healthy biological community.” – Dan Hemenway</h5><hr>References: <a href="//www.permaculturenews.org/2011/10/21/why-food-forests/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">www.permaculturenews.org/2011/10/21/why-food-forests/</a> <a href="//www.permacultureprinciples.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">www.permacultureprinciples.com</a>&nbsp;<hr>&nbsp;<h5 style="text-align:center;">Article by ELIZABETH CRICHTON</h5><hr>

In tune with Nature

Elizabeth is the founding editor of Heartfulness Magazine. She is Australian, loves meditating, writing, playing and singing music, gardening, thinking, spending time with her two grown up children, and life in general. She has been a student of both science and spirituality all her life. Trained as a research scientist, with a PhD in ecology, she turned her inquiry and research skills to the field of meditation and spirituality after starting the Heartfulness practices in the late 80s.

elizabeth-denley-img.jpg

Elizabeth Denley

How can we improve mental flexibility?

<h4 style="text-align: left;">How do you handle it when others don’t agree with you or
 want to do things differently, especially at work? ELIZABETH DENLEY explores the need for different
 perspectives, and shares some thoughts on how to integrate diverse views in decision-making in the work
 place.</h4>
<hr class="vertical-space1">
Thank God for diversity! Many of us don’t like the fact that other people have different
 points of view and ways of doing things, and it often causes tension and conflict at work, but imagine if we all had
 the same perspective! This story from the mythical Sufi master, Mulla Nasruddin, gives us a hint:
One day, Mulla Nasruddin said to his wife, “I have discovered how to play the violin
 perfectly. Summon all our near and dear ones for a concert.” Everyone was invited and there was much excitement as
 they all waited expectantly for the most beautiful music from the saintly Mulla.
He lifted the violin to his chin, with a dramatic pause before starting to play. One
 note came from his instrument – for sure it was beautifully played, but it was only one note. Then he paused. Again
 he drew the bow across the strings, and again the same beautifully-played note resonated throughout the room.
<img decoding="async" width="300" height="312"
 class="lazyload img-float-right has-img-center-in-mobile"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/diversity_work3_47c585d3ec.jpg">People started fidgeting and looking at each other with surprised and confused
 looks. What was the Mulla up to? His wife turned red with embarrassment, as people started smiling and giggling. She
 had expected such a wonderful performance, and now this.
Finally she mustered the courage to ask, “Husband, why are you only playing one note,
 instead of playing beautiful music like other musicians do?” 
 “Well,” replied the Mulla, “Other musicians are still searching for the perfect note. I have found it!”
While at work, how often do you think, “The perfect way of solving that challenge or
 problem is so obvious! Why is he doing it a different way?” or “She is so inefficient in her way of doing that,” or
 “They are not doing it right!” without exploring the different perspectives they might have on the issue? Are we
 able to see a broader perspective or are we limited in our worldview.
Here is an interesting analogy that I learnt from Daaji one morning. He drew a picture
 of a mountain on a piece of paper, with two people climbing up the mountain, each on opposite sides. He said, “You
 see, this person climbing up this slope can only see her side of the mountain, and that colors her perception. This
 person climbing up the other side of the mountain can only see his side, and may have the opposite perspective.” The
 two sides could be any duality – he mentioned science versus religion, but the concept holds equally well for fast
 execution versus a quality product, company productivity versus employee well-being, profit versus environmental
 sustainability, duty versus job satisfaction … and the list goes on.
Daaji continued: “Only when a person reaches the top of the mountain can he or she have
 a 360-degree vision of the whole and see all sides of any issue.” This principle holds true for all relationships
 and communication in the workplace. It is also the basis of good teamwork. Mutual trust and respect can only
 underpin any company ethic when the leaders and managers understand this and allow it to happen. It also means that
 employees need the space to think for themselves and contribute their ideas to the whole, otherwise all of them will
 only be climbing up the one beaten track to the top, following in the footsteps of the current leader.


<hr>
<h5 style="text-align: center;">I think everyone would agree 
 with the need for diversity, 
 so the issue is not with the 
 concept, but in how we 
 make use of this concept 
 at work, especially when 
 there is polarization between 
 people who are working 
 together, leading to conflict 
 and disharmony.</h5>


<hr>
That doesn’t mean chaos and anarchy, disobedience and lack of structure at work – not at
 all. Again, two different perspectives don’t need to be opposite; they can be integrated. The problem lies in the
 fact that most of the time we think in dualities, of this or that, instead of this and that.
Look at Nature. Is there one single note in Nature? Is every oak tree exactly the same,
 or every butterfly? What would a garden be like with only one type of plant, all exactly the same? Should every
 human being look the same?
Should there only be one human culture, with everyone following the same style of
 living: same clothes, same houses, same cars, same hairstyles, designer this, designer that? It would be like the
 movie, The Stepford Wives, or Aldous Huxley’s A Brave New World. There is an English proverb,
 “Variety is the spice of life.” I think everyone would agree with the need for diversity, so the issue is not with
 the concept, but in how we make use of this concept at work, especially when there is polarization between people
 who are working together, leading to conflict and disharmony.
<img decoding="async" width="800"
 class="lazyload w-100"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/diversity_work2_2bd13b41ec.jpg?updated_at=2023-03-30T05:38:46.175Z">
One of my dearest colleagues, with whom I work on many projects, has very similar tastes
 and opinions to me. We almost always agree and that creates a problem, because our views are too similar. So often
 when we are working together, we will bring in another person – someone we know will have a very different
 perspective. It adds richness, challenges us to expand our perspectives and perception, and always results in a
 better outcome.
It also means that we don’t end up like the Bandar-log in Rudyard Kilping’s The
 Jungle Book; the monkeys who are always blowing their own trumpet with, “We are great. We are free. We are
 wonderful. We are the most wonderful people in all the jungle! We all say so, and so it must be true.”
How to manage diverse opinions and come to a collective conclusion? That is the
 difficult question for many managers. The answers to that question apply to any relationships, whether at work,
 between spouses, parents and children, friends or strangers on a bus or in different cars in heavy traffic. Here are
 a few ideas:
<img decoding="async" alt="infographic-work" width="792"
 class="w-100"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/infographic_work_eb5eca3f9b.jpg">

<hr class="vertical-space1">



<hr>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">Article by ELIZABETH DENLEY</h4>


<hr>

Diversity at work

<h4>ELIZABETH DENLEY explores the nature of teamwork.</h4>
<hr class="vertical-space1">
There are many buzzwords these days in corporate culture, in psychology, and in the
 growing field of holistic well-being. One of the most popular is “teamwork.” Everyone knows that cooperation and
 teamwork are essential to life and to the modern workplace. In fact, teamwork is one of the most essential life
 skills for a social species like Homo sapiens. We would not survive without it!
There are so many courses, workshops, and self-help books on how to develop teamwork –
 probably because we have lost the art, otherwise we would not need them. They are generally excellent, too. I
 remember when my kids were in primary school and they learned Edward de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats. When they
 were teenagers I bought them Sean Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens, and I was so impressed by
 his approach to teamwork.
<hr>
<h5 style="text-align: center;">When we identify as “we,” 
 then differences are simply the component parts of a holistic view. 
 Teamwork becomes natural.</h5>
<hr>
We all know the theory:
Be inclusive.
Include people with different perspectives to get a rich mix of
 ideas.
Include people with different skills and strengths, so that they
 complement each other.
Include people who fulfill different roles in the team – harmonizers
 and challengers, innovators and implementers, leaders and followers, presenters and support people, communicators
 and introspectors, etc.
Great teamwork is like a great piece of music or a garden, where the
 different elements blend together through synergy.
Look for the genius, the gems, in everyone.
Make sure everyone listens to each other.
Know how to bring harmony when it is disturbed. Make sure everyone
 is familiar with the basic principles of communication and facilitation.
Create your environment so that it is the most conducive to
 harmonious, creative and dynamic teamwork.
We also know the concept of Ubuntu in African communities and the interconnectedness of
 the people in many traditional indigenous societies.
Yet with all this, still we don’t strike the balance. We know the theory, and we have
 the set of ‘rules’ for great teamwork, but something is lacking.
Here is what I have learnt:
First, we can know every good thing to do, but unless we remove all the patterning and
 habits that causes us to be pulled away from those good things, change will only be superficial. We need a method to
 remove the patterns and habits from the very root, like Yogic Cleaning.
Second, when we identify with ‘I’, we struggle in teams, because we still put ourselves
 ahead of others or below others. Either way, it does not lead to effective teamwork, although seeing others as
 greater than ourselves is definitely better than seeing ourselves as greater than others!
When we focus on our differences with others, the ego is dominant. Whereas when we
 identify as “we,” then differences are simply the component parts of a holistic view.
Teamwork becomes natural, because
<h2 style="text-align: center;">heart = we </h2>
When we involve the heart, we will be satisfied. And all those heart-based qualities of
 a good team will shine, like
<img decoding="async" width="589" height="434"
 class="lazyload has-img-center"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/heart_we_2_img_dc64352bfd.png">
<hr>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">Article by ELIZABETH DENLEY</h4>
<hr>

Heart = we

<h4>ELIZABETH DENLEY shares an experience in meditation, and explains why it is not all about benefits for physical and mental well-being. Meditation takes us into other dimensions of our existence that help us see our purpose as human beings.&nbsp;</h4>There is so much written these days about the benefits of <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/the-neuroscience-of-meditation" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">meditation</a> – peace of mind, clear thinking, lowered blood pressure and changes in brain wave patterns. All that is wonderful, no doubt, but it is only the tip of the iceberg.After many years of meditating with Yogic Transmission, every day unveils more of the journey of infinite discovery and expansion of consciousness into unknown realms.Here is an example of one experience a couple of months back, during a group <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/healing-journeys" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">meditation session</a> in the centre down the road from my home. This is what I wrote in my diary after the meditation was finished:This <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/indras-net" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">meditation</a> triggered something. Lately, I have observed a definite qualitative shift, and today something crystallised.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">After many years of meditating with yogic Transmission, every&nbsp;day unveils more of&nbsp;the journey of infinite discovery and expansion of consciousness into unknown realms.</h4><hr>These days I see the spiritual journey differently. I used to visualize it like a spiral movement, from where my consciousness is now towards the Source. Now it appears totally different: like ever-expanding dimensions, no longer unidirectional. It covers a greater and greater field. Figuratively the movement goes from the heart to the current position in the journey, and beyond, and back into the heart again and again. More and more is unveiled with each tiny step.There is both expansion and contraction – expansion towards the infinite, and contraction towards zero. Both are necessary and complementary. Out into the field of consciousness from the centre of the heart, and back into the centre of the heart.It is expansion of consciousness into a different type of existence. I can’t even call it a qualitative shift, because that would mean there are qualities. It is like describing the atmosphere in outer space in comparison to the atmosphere just above the Earth. They are both atmosphere yet totally different.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">There is both expansion and&nbsp;contraction – expansion towards the infinite, and contraction towards zero. Both are necessary and complementary.</h4><hr>What is changing tangibly at the present time is the experience of love, faith and devotion. For example, I used to enjoy Rumi’s poetry about his love for Shams so much, but now that intoxication of love he describes feels too indulgent. I am not being disrespectful, it is just that in that state of love the ego feels so good, and there is intoxication in loving the Guru. The feeling is so blissful that it is easy to be attached to that bliss. Tonight that bliss is also a burden. The real etiquette with the Guru is something so much higher and finer than I ever imagined before.This inner state is neither love nor not love, faith nor not faith. Why is faith needed when Divinity is everywhere in everything? Devotion, faith and love propel us and direct us, and help us to hold on when needed, but they are only a means. They have to become finer and finer until they exist only in the most sublime, subtle fragrance so potent and infinitesimal that it pulls us inwards. These noble qualities should not divert consciousness away from the Centre; they should not have any weight, even if it is sweet weight. What matters is what is beyond them, what is Real.This inner state is so natural, so simple, where everything is perfect in and of itself.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

An experience in meditation

<h4>There are beautiful, natural places on this earth where the rhythms of the universe manifest in splendor. ELIZABETH DENLEY writes about life in one such place – the ashram retreat at Satkhol in the Himalayas.</h4>Stillness. Not even a breath of wind is evident as the autumn sun rises to expose the beauty of the morning. Slowly the mighty Himalayan peaks are illuminated. It is their day after two weeks of mist and cloud cover. They show us their grandeur – Trishul, Mrigthuni, Maiktoli, and Nanda Devi. This is the land of great souls.Flowers, butterflies, bees, and birds are still in abundance on this late October day with a vibrancy that sings with life. Every small scene shines and the tall umbrella pines filter the sunlight, catching the golden rays. The local people shine with the same beauty, their eyes alive with life.Ashram life is in tune with this natural beauty. We rise at 4 a.m. to meditate before the dawn in that suspended grayness between night and day. It is easy to experience the stillness and nothingness of Divinity at that time, as Nature expresses it everywhere.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">It is easy to experience the stillness and&nbsp; nothingness of Divinity at that time, as Nature expresses it everywhere.</h4><hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/the_rhythm_of_the_universe1_7c9c02983c.jpg?updated_at=2023-03-31T07:17:56.503Z" alt="3">This is followed by exercise – walking in the hills, stretching on the terrace of our simple accommodation, always surrounded by the purity and simplicity of the natural environment. Breakfast is down the hill, where the meals are wholesome and healthy, and, like everything else, simple. No pandering to taste and desire, only to health and well-being. Food is prepared with love and served by cheerful volunteers who are happy to give.Group meditation is after breakfast, and we are blessed that during these two heavenly weeks our teacher is here with us to conduct these sessions, transmitting pranahuti, the signature of Heartfulness. The inner transformation is so palpable in everyone as a result. The place, his subtle silent work, and our inner focus, combine to bring Grace that is exquisite beyond human comprehension.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">This pause in the routine of normal city life is a gift of Nature in all her facets, where the rhythm of the universe and the prana of existence are celebrated in every little thing.</h4><hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/the_rhythm_of_the_universe2_3d26ed133e.jpg?updated_at=2023-03-31T07:18:45.076Z" alt="2"> &nbsp;Each day unfolds, full of the day-to-day activities of the mountains and the ashram, followed by group meditation again in the late afternoon. As dusk descends and the warmth of the mountain sun is replaced by the chill of autumn evenings, we do our own practice to clean the heart and mind of any impressions that have formed or surfaced during the day. After dinner we sit together, listening to the music of ghazals and raagas under the stars and the expansive sky.Bedtime is a time for inner communion with the Divine, in prayer and contemplation, and sleep then follows the natural cycle.This pause in the routine of normal city life is a gift of Nature in all her facets, where the rhythm of the universe and the prana of existence are celebrated in every little thing. It is time to take this state back into the world of human activity and share it with everyone: this beauty of stillness.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Photographs by RAJESH MENON</h4><hr>

The rhythm of the universe

<hr class="vertical-space1">
 The great yogis of India and modern physicists agree that the whole universe is
 composed of two things: akasha meaning space, and prana, the infinite power of the universe.
 Out of this prana evolves everything that we call energy or force. It becomes motion, gravitation, magnetism,
 heat, sound, light and time in the universe, and it becomes activity, nerve currents and thought in us. Our
 thoughts are energy, sometimes very subtle and potent, and this energy flows into whatever we are thinking
 about. The more our thoughts are focused on something, the more energy we give to that idea. There is a famous
 old English proverb that goes like this:
 Sow a thought you reap an action. 
 Sow an act you reap a habit. 
 Sow a habit you reap a character. 
 Sow a character you reap a destiny.
 <hr class="vertical-space1">
 <h4>Everything starts with thought. Here is an experiment you could try:</h4>
 <hr class="vertical-space1">
 <ul>
 <li style="list-style-type: none;">
 <ul>
 <li>Before you sleep, put a pen and small pocket notebook by your bed, and when you wake up in the
 morning observe the first thoughts that come into your head. Take a minute to note them down.</li>
 <li>Go about your morning routine – wash, meditate, exercise, eat breakfast, organise the family for the
 day, etc. What thoughts go through your head? Make a note of them.</li>
 <li>Take your notebook to work with you. What do you think about on the way to work?</li>
 <li>At your workplace, observe the thoughts that come throughout the day, and continue doing this on and
 off until you go home and sleep at night.</li>
 <li>Don’t analyse, simply observe and record, without going into too much detail.</li>
 </ul>
 </li>
 </ul>
 <hr class="vertical-space1">
 <h4>The next day, read through your notes and discover:</h4>
 <hr class="vertical-space1">
 <ul>
 <li style="list-style-type: none;">
 <ul>
 <li>What sort of reality did I create with my thoughts?</li>
 <li>How did my thoughts contribute to the environment at home and at my workplace?</li>
 <li>What effect am I having on the atmosphere and the people around me? Take the time to observe how you
 contribute to harmony, inspire others, create beautiful thought environments wherever you go, and
 generally at the end of any day are able to say, “That was a good day!”</li>
 </ul>
 </li>
 </ul>
 <hr class="vertical-space1">
 <hr>

Creating your own reality

<h4>ELIZABETH DENLEY shares some ideas on the evolution of Mindfulness over the last 200 years, and where it might be headed.</h4>
&nbsp;

The Mindfulness Movement is often thought to have its roots in vipassana, Tibetan Buddhism and Zen Buddhism. The word ‘mindfulness’ was probably coined by the Pali language scholar Thomas William Rhys Davids in 1881, when he translated the word sati as ‘mindfulness’.
Davids explained that sati literally means ‘memory’, but is used with reference to the constantly repeated phrase, sato sampajâno, meaning ‘mindful and thoughtful’. He elaborated it as “that activity of mind and constant presence of mind which is one of the duties most frequently inculcated on the good Buddhist.”

<hr>

<h5 class="text-center">"The heart is the field of 
action of the mind."</h5>

<hr>
But it has not been the eastern practices of Buddhism alone that have shaped Mindfulness in the world today, as is well explained by Jon Kabat-Zinn. In fact, one of the most wonderful aspects of Mindfulness is the integration of western and eastern approaches, various philosophies and practices, all merged into a modern synthesis that speaks to people of all backgrounds and faiths. And this has been developing slowly throughout the world in an incredible way during the last 200 years. It has been a gradual evolution, which is still continuing today.
For example, the Transcendentalists of the 19th century in North America also shaped the evolution of modern-day Mindfulness – Ralph Waldo Emerson, Margaret Fuller, Henry David Thoreau, Louisa May Alcott and Walt Whitman, among others. They took their inspiration from European Romanticism, as well as eastern practices and philosophy. In fact, when we examine the history, we see an  ever-increasing integration of West and East. Looking further ahead to the 20th century, Thich Nhat Hanh’s Plum Village in the south-west of France is yet another example of the way this integration has molded our modern approach to Mindfulness.
And the latest evolution in this global movement is the continuation to Heartfulness. When you dive deep in meditation, you soon learn that the field of the human subtle body does not separate mind and heart. One of the foremost Yogis of the 19th and 20th century, Ram Chandra of Fatehgarh called the subtle body the ‘heartmind’. His student and successor, Ram Chandra of Shahjahanpur said it in a slightly different way: “The heart is the field of action of the mind.” ...


<h4>Read the complete article in <a style="color: #bf8f26;" href="//www.heartfulnessmagazine.com/category/volume2/volume2issue3/">Volume 2, Issue 3</a>
</h4>
<h4><a href="//www.heartfulnessmagazine.com/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">SUBSCRIBE &amp; DOWNLOAD</a></h4>


<hr>
<h4 class="text-center">Article by ELIZABETH DENLEY</h4>

<hr>

The evolution of mindfulness

<h3 style="text-align: center;"><img decoding="async" alt="qanda" 
 class="lazyload mw-100"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/ritual_gold_73c6861fa0.jpg">In conversation with</h3>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">LUKE COUTINHO &amp; SAMARA MAHINDRA</h3>

<hr class="vertical-space1">

<h4>In part 3 of this interview, LUKE COUTINHO and SAMARA MAHINDRA continue to speak about the importance of different
 foods, lifestyle and attitude towards holistic living.</h4>
<hr class="vertical-space1">
LC: … Oil is important for developing
 your hormones, and absorption of vitamins such as A, D, E and K which are fat soluble. You need fat to carry them to
 your cells. That’s how important food is: you can’t just say, “I am doing a diet and eating such-and-such foods.”
 You have to look inside the body into how that food is being absorbed.
Look at the biofeedback of the body – many people still have that white coating on the
 tongue, which means that food is not working the way you think it is for you. It is not about writing out a diet to
 eat healthy foods; first you want to prepare the body to absorb those healthy foods.
So before eating a healthy meal, you need to clean out the gut and detoxify the liver, to
 prepare yourself for the next dose of healthy food. Then, when you have that good food, you automatically stop
 craving the bad food. Your body only craves clean food. An unhealthy body craves unhealthy food. That is why when
 you do a detoxification program, for the next 4 to 5 days you are completely fine. There is no need to battle with
 cravings in your mind, using willpower to control them, because your body is not creating that environment.
The moment you get that first dose of sugar and start that bacteria formation, then the
 cells become anaerobic, your whole physiology changes and then you start craving junk.
Q: So sugar is still the big baddy!
LC: Absolutely! There is no doubt about that. Then there is the
 whole issue of saturated fats and the cholesterol myth. People have been moved away from the oils that were actually
 managing their cholesterol to using oils that produce more heart disease and inflammation. So everything is coming
 up slowly.

<hr>

<h5 style="text-align: center;">It is not about writing out a diet to eat healthy foods; 
 first you want to prepare the body to absorb those healthy foods. 
 So before eating a healthy meal, you need to clean out the gut 
 and detoxify the liver, to prepare yourself for the next dose of healthy food. 
 Then, when you have that good food, you automatically stop craving the bad food. 
 Your body only craves clean food.</h5>

<hr>

SM: I think a lot of people also want to follow the dietary
 fads that are current. We are always looking outside. For example, there are grains that are no doubt very healthy,
 like quinoa, but we all come from rich, ancient cultures with different kinds of foods that are good for our system,
 that we are born into. So we look outside, we want to get the fashionable healthy stuff, without realizing that what
 is local is what is the best for us. Many things come into play to take us away from that, like the media.
<hr class="vertical-space1">
<h4>Read the complete article in <a style="color: #bf8f26;"
 href="//www.heartfulnessmagazine.com/category/volume2/volume2issue3/">Volume 2, Issue 3</a>
</h4>
<h4><a href="//www.heartfulnessmagazine.com/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">SUBSCRIBE &amp; DOWNLOAD</a></h4>

<h5 style="text-align: center;">
 <hr>
</h5>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">Interviewed by ELIZABETH DENLEY</h4>

<hr>
<span
 style="border-radius: 2px; text-indent: 20px; width: auto; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; text-align: center; font: bold 11px/20px 'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,sans-serif; color: #ffffff; background: #bd081c no-repeat scroll 3px 50% / 14px 14px; position: absolute; opacity: 1; z-index: 8675309; display: none; cursor: pointer;">Save

An integrative foundation to healing - part 3

<h5>Creativity exists within us all. ELIZABETH DENLEY explores the inherent nature of creativity.</h5>
<hr class="vertical-space1">
We often think that creativity &amp; innovation are for those special people – the
 artists and innovators – who choose a creative profession, forgetting that we are all potentially creative and
 innovative in whatever we do every day.
Creativity is an attitude. A street sweeper can be creative in how she cleans the paths,
 a builder laying concrete can find new ways for the concrete to set. It is all about attitude, and it requires a
 sense of wonder and discovery. I remember the first time I visited Bali as a teenager, and watched the local people
 creating their flower offerings to God at various places on the roadside and near their houses every day. They were
 done so beautifully, with so much care and love. It was a joyous thing to walk along a path between paddy fields and
 come upon one of those glorious pieces of natural art.
Where do creativity &amp; innovation come from? Are they learnt? Can we switch them on
 and suddenly they are there? It is a necessary topic to explore, because creativity &amp; innovation are critical
 for anything to be really successful, and for us to contribute our own particular genius to our human community.
 Every one of us has a genius, and our job is to find ours and excel at whatever that is. We don’t have to become
 famous, rich or ambitious, as genius can be expressed in every little thing we do every day.
<hr>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">Every one of us has a genius, and our job is to find ours 
 and excel at whatever that is. 
 We don’t have to become famous, rich or ambitious, 
 as genius can be expressed in every little thing we do every day.</h4>
<hr>
There is the old cliché, work is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration, and that is as
 true for Michelangelo sculpting David, Jagjit Singh singing ghazals, Joseph Strauss engineering the Golden Gate
 Bridge, Einstein discovering relativity, a family preparing Christmas dinner together, or an office clerk organising
 his boss’s appointment schedule for the next week.
One of the simplest and most elegant innovations I have seen in any office was back in
 the early ’90s, before personal computers were common, when I visited my Guru in India for the first time. He had
 retired from his role as a company executive in order to devote his time fully to our spiritual organisation, and
 ran his office with an order that was inspiring.
One day he showed me his filing cabinets, and I was surprised by the innovative ideas he
 had used to organise membership cards and other administrative documents. His was a simple creation, unseen by the
 world and hence unsung, but it was so simple and elegant.
In fact any really creative innovation is simple. The 19th century composer, Frederic
 Chopin, once said, “Simplicity is the highest goal, achievable when you have overcome all difficulties. After one
 has played a vast quantity of notes and more notes, it is simplicity that emerges as the crowning reward of art.”

The same concept applies everywhere. In mathematics, if there is more than one solution
 to a problem, the simplest and most elegant is considered to be the highest. Why? The answer to this question takes
 us to the heart of the matter of creativity! Reflect on it for some time, and a whole universe of understanding
 emerges.
Creativity is natural, as the same creative principle exists throughout the universe. It
 is one of the three main principles of existence – creation, maintenance and destruction. Creativity is
 intrinsically linked with our inner essence, the life force that is within us. Great artists, scientists and
 thinkers recognise this, from Leonardo da Vinci to Nicola Tesla.
<hr>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">“Simplicity is the highest goal, achievable 
 when you have overcome all difficulties. 
 After one has played a vast quantity of notes and more notes, 
 it is simplicity that emerges as the crowning reward of art.”</h4>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">Frederic Chopin</h4>
<hr>
In fact, if life is to be lived well, it is an act of creation in itself, from the
 moment of conception until the moment of death and beyond. Anything creative is evolving at every moment. To be
 innovative and creative in any field, be it engineering, carpentry, mechanics, music, art, cooking, writing,
 gardening or running a business, we have to dive into the core of ourselves, the heart of our being. And for that we
 need to create the space and time to allow ourselves to listen to the inspiration that comes from within.
Inspiration comes from a place that is beyond our own limitations, and our own mundane
 existence, in what we call the spiritual heart of existence. Ekhart Tolle puts it in the following way: “All true
 artists, whether they know it or not, create from a place of no-mind, from inner stillness.”
So it is actually very simple: cultivate this ability. Do whatever takes you straight to
 the heart of the matter. Swim in the sea, meditate, walk in Nature, sing, play with children … there are many ways
 to nurture creativity, and each person must find their own approach.
Let your heart expand. That in itself is a creative act!
<hr>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">Article by ELIZABETH DENLEY</h4>
<hr>

Beauty in Simplicity

<h4 style="text-align: justify;">Human society is currently going through a phase of rapid change, and if that change is
 to have a positive outcome for the future, one place to pour our energy and love is in the care and education of our
 children. ELIZABETH DENLEY explores why we are evaluating our current outdated educational paradigms and what is
 possible through the emerging paradigms of the 21st century. Also, what questions do we need to ask to move forward?
</h4>

Today, everywhere in the world public education is changing. We are living in times of
 revolution, and there are many reasons for this revolution – the pace of social change, economic drivers,
 technology, the critical nature of our relationship with our planet, the shift in understanding the needs of our
 children and their place in society, and the expansion of consciousness that humanity is currently undergoing.
But most importantly, it is our children themselves who need something different. Many
 are bored at school, or worse unhappy, medicated or unmotivated. Why? It’s time to ask them. Are we catering to
 their needs? As Tagore once said, “Don’t limit a child to your own learning, for he was born in another time.” This
 is so pertinent today. Educators have been addressing this issue from many different angles, especially during the
 last 150 years, and here are just a handful of their thoughts. There are, of course, many more:

<h4 style="padding-left: 30px;">From Manufacturing To Growth-Oriented</h4>
Sir Kenneth Robinson, the British educator says, “Many of our
 institutions evolved in earlier times to meet different needs than those we face now. Many of them are failing the
 people they’re meant to serve and the energies of those who work in them. If we’re to have fulfilled lives as
 individuals and meet the challenges we face collectively, we have to create the conditions in our schools,
 communities and organizations for people to flourish.”
He encourages us to rethink the outdated model of education we
 currently have for public education. It was developed during The Age of Reason in 18th century Europe for the
 economies of The Industrial Revolution, and was based on a mass-manufacturing model, where children are processed in
 batches according to age, and evaluated against one common quality control standard – exams. At the time it was
 itself a revolutionary model, because it was a first attempt to bring education to everyone en mass, and we can be
 very grateful for that, otherwise formal education would have remained with the elite few.
While that model has been refined through continuous improvement,
 the fundamental assumptions have not changed. As well as the manufacturing approach, it also assumes that academic,
 intellectual reasoning is the foundation of education. And not all children fit that paradigm, nor should they.
At no time in human history has Robinson’s advice been more relevant
 than today, when children are routinely labeled with behavioral and learning disorders and prescribed medication to
 help them conform. Is it the children who are the problem, or is it the manufacturing model? And what are the
 alternatives?

<h4 style="padding-left: 30px;">Life Is Education</h4>
Back at the beginning of the 20th century, the Austrian mystic and
 philosopher, Rudolf Steiner, while developing his approach to education said, “Education is an art – it must speak
 to the child’s experience. To educate the whole child, his heart and his will must be reached, as well as the mind.”
 He also said, “We need to learn that each new day and each new year offers continual revelation.” In other words,
 life is education.

<h4 style="padding-left: 30px;">When Will Becomes Fruitful</h4>
At the same time, in India the great minds of the time were also
 vocal in sharing the need for our approach to change. Swami Vivekananda said, “What is education? Is it
 book-learning? No. Is it diverse knowledge? Not even that. The training by which the current and expression of will
 are brought under control and become fruitful is called education. Now consider, is that education as a result of
 which the will, being continuously choked by force through generations, is wellnigh killed out; is that education
 under whose sway even the old ideas, let alone the new ones, are disappearing one by one; is that education which is
 slowly making man a machine? It is more blessed, in my opinion, even to go wrong, impelled by one’s free will and
 intelligence than to be good as an automaton. Again, can that be called society which is formed by an aggregate of
 men who are like lumps of clay, like lifeless machines, like heaped up pebbles? How can such society fare well?”

<h4 style="padding-left: 30px;">Socratic and Gurukula Learning</h4>
If we go back further to ancient times, we can learn a lot from the
 great teachers of yore. Many of their learning styles are now back in vogue, such as the Socratic method of ancient
 Greece and the Gurukula system of the ancient Vedic traditions of India. In fact, modern-day facilitation
 styles of education reflect these traditions, including ‘inquiry-based learning’, which was developed in the 1960s
 and is currently now taking hold in mainstream public education worldwide.

Then there are the many religious-based schools and independent schools that have been
 using varied models of education, from both eastern and western traditions. Some have tried different approaches,
 but they usually conform to the government standard when it comes to final examinations so that students can be
 ranked and offered placement in higher education or employment. In fact, all the differences in approach to learning
 pale into insignificance compared with the elephant in the room. There is one more critical component of 21st
 century education that was not there in earlier times, and that is technology.
According to statistics presented by A.C. Nielsen, the number of hours children in the
 US spend at school these days is less than half the hours they spend being educated by media sources. In fact, the
 media is by far the leading educator of children today in many countries, television being the main source.
And what sort of education do children receive from television and the Internet? It can
 be as varied as the programs available, and there are many, many wonderful resources for children. But some of the
 statistics are worth taking seriously, and here are just a few:
By the time the average child has reached age 12 they will have watched over 8,000
 murders on television, and by age 18 that number has risen to 16,000 murders and 200,000 acts of violence. So a
 major subject offered to children in ‘media school’ is violence.
A second subject high on the list for all in the curriculum is sex, as these days two
 out of three television shows include sexual content, and over half the surveyed teenagers between 14 and 17 had
 visited pornographic websites.
The third and fourth major subjects are material consumerism and alcohol. Statistically,
 between the ages of 3 and 18, the average child watches around 500,000 TV commercials, of which 20% promote alcohol.

Before television and the Internet, the number of children exposed to chronic
 consumerism, violence, drug abuse, murder and pornography was limited to those who encountered it personally in
 their families and neighborhoods. Now, it is normal for almost all children, irrespective of the values and
 lifestyle of their families.
So what values are we imparting to our children through ‘media education’? And why are
 we surprised that children are blasé about these things and disillusioned by what we offer them? What is our
 personal and societal vision for our children’s education? These are questions we can all ask.

<img class="w-100"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/students2_ee600894a7.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-04T04:41:56.661Z" />



<h4 style="text-align: justify;">What next?</h4>
We know that the manufacturing model of education of the 19th and 20th centuries is no
 longer adequate for 21st century education, yet we still need an approach that offers education for everyone. We
 also need to impart skills, knowledge and training, so there is room for training, both face-to-face and online. In
 fact that is what most of current-day education is all about – skills training for specific jobs and careers.
But we also know that there is a higher dimension to education, offering an ongoing
 holistic learning and evolution through life, a development of wisdom and guidance towards a fulfilling existence.
 For that we need to include child-centered and heart-centered approaches. Parthasarathi Rajagopalachari once said,
 “Every child has an individual genius. The role of the teacher is to uncover that genius.”
The word ‘education’ comes from the Latin word educere meaning ‘to lead out’.
 So in the higher view of education we are not supposed to feed knowledge to students, but instead uncover their own
 genius and let it blossom, let their consciousness and the higher dimensions of their mind expand.
So the next steps must involve enabling teachers to help students uncover that genius.
 In fact, it is simple. To bring out what is inside, we only need to turn the attention inwards. That is what
 meditation is for. That is what Heartfulness is for. When teachers learn how to meditate themselves and share the
 basic practices of relaxation and meditation with students in schools, even in large classes, students will start to
 look inside and feel, they will listen to their hearts, and they will discover their own inner potential. Imagine
 such a world.
There are many other things that also need to change in our educational institutions,
 such as children having the opportunity to play on earth instead of concrete or asphalt, to eat simple vital food
 instead of processed packaged food, to sit in chairs designed for good postural support instead of rounded plastic
 chairs that lead to back problems in later life, to have class layouts that are flexible instead of always having
 rows of chairs facing one direction … and the list goes on, but this one step of looking inside will make a world of
 difference to our children and our future.
Finally, if we really want to create education that is relevant for our children, can we
 ask them what is their vision for their future education?
&nbsp;
<hr>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">Article by ELIZABETH DENLEY</h4>

<hr>

Education - where are we headed?

<hr class="vertical-space1">
<h4>Many of us live surrounded by invisible, silent radiation. ELIZABETH DENLEY shares some thoughts on how manmade
 electromagnetic radiation may be affecting our health and well-being.</h4>
<hr class="vertical-space1">
<img class="img-float-right has-img-center-in-mobile"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/mobileaddiction_cbe52f3258.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-04T08:30:28.315Z">

As school kids we learnt that the ancient Romans used lead utensils for cooking and
 eating. As a result, many died from lead poisoning. We all thought they were crazy. I wonder if they knew at the
 time that the lead was poisoning them. But are we any wiser today? Have we learnt from the lessons of history?
Let’s take our use of technology – Wifi, Internet, Bluetooth, mobile phones, microwave
 ovens, and all the other manmade sources of electromagnetic radiation in our environment. What do we know about
 their effects?
The World Health Organization has acknowledged that manmade EMR may affect our health,
 and many research studies have been done, with variable results. Not everyone is convinced that this is a public
 health issue, and there are others whose symptoms are serious enough to convince them from personal experience. Yet
 even knowing that there could be dangers, are we going to continue on so that, like the Romans, future generations
 think we were crazy? We continue to use Wifi, Internet, Bluetooth and mobile phones with gay abandon, like never
 before.
In May 2011, the WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer announced it was
 classifying electromagnetic fields from mobile phones and other sources as “possibly carcinogenic to humans” and
 advised everyone to adopt safety measures to reduce exposure, such as using hands-free devices or texting.
Radiation advisory authorities in some countries, including Austria, France, Germany and
 Sweden, recommended people to:
– Use hands-free to decrease radiation to the head, 
 – Keep the mobile phone away from the body, 
 – Do not use your phone in a car without an external antenna,
and there is now a field of research known as bioelectromagnetics.
How can we understand the way EMRs affect our biology and health? It is quite simple
 really. All of us have three bodies – body, mind and soul – the physical body, subtle body and causal body.
<div class="text-center">
 <img decoding="async" class="lazyload has-img-center"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/threebodies_d292c3522b.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-04T08:31:15.692Z">
 
</div>
The subtle body, also known as the mind, is our energetic body and here we have an
 electromagnetic field created by the negative and positive polarity of charge. For example, the subtle body is
 affected by the build up of positive ions in the atmosphere before a thunderstorm, creating restlessness, and the
 release of negative ions once the storm hits, bringing relief. The negative and positive charges in this energy
 field also correspond with yin and yang, electron and proton, female and male, and the positive and negative poles
 of an electric charge, etc. This is how matter is constructed – as a result of the positive and negative charges in
 atoms. In Nature everything is in balance; not a static balance, but a state of equilibrium, of complementary energy
 flows that alternate just like
In Nature everything is in balance; not a static balance, but a state of equilibrium, of
 complementary energy flows that alternate just like alternating current throughout any given day. This is seen in
 our autonomic nervous system, with the complementary sympathetic and parasympathetic currents. It is also seen in
 the surya and chandra nadis of yogic science. At times one predominates, and every couple
 of hours the current switches, so that the other predominates. There are a few main inflection points at sunrise and
 sunset, called stationary points, where the turn of the flow is more prominent, like the turning of the tide. This
 is how Nature works, whether it is planetary movements, atomic movements, or any other flow of energy in the
 universe. Modern science and the ancient sciences of India, Egypt, China, Phoenicia, Greece etc. all agree on this
 concept of polarity in Nature. It is like our breath, which goes in and out in a rhythmic cycle. The flow of energy
 in our body, in the earth, in any being, creates a field.


<hr>
<h5 style="text-align: center;">Most diseases start in the subtle body 
 as an imbalance or disturbance. 
 That is why Chinese Medicine works 
 on the meridians, and Ayurveda 
 on the nadis and chakras. 
 Just because we don’t see or feel anything, 
 or cannot measure something, 
 does it mean that nothing is 
 happening at more subtle levels?
</h5>


<hr>
What happens when we add manmade EMFs into our environment? They interact with our
 natural EMFs. The stronger the wireless technologies we add to our city environments, the more they will interact
 with our own energy fields. Some people are very sensitive to the effects, getting headaches, rashes, nausea and
 nervous complaints. The science is still out on whether EMFs cause these symptoms, the evidence inconclusive, but
 while scientists do their research on the physical body they are unlikely to measure the real effects, which are
 happening at the level of the subtle body, the energy field. Eventually this can filter down to have a physical
 effect. Most diseases start in the subtle body as an imbalance or disturbance. That is why Chinese Medicine works on
 the meridians, and Ayurveda on the nadis and chakras. Just because we don’t see or feel anything, or cannot
 measure something, does it mean that nothing is happening at more subtle levels?
There is also an important ethical issue that must be addressed. We have created a
 situation of no choice: those who live in cities and towns have EM pollution imposed upon them, whether they want it
 or not. Whenever I open the Wifi settings on my iPhone in downtown Paris, New York, Tokyo, Singapore or Delhi, a
 whole list of networks pop up. I am surrounded, even when I personally choose not to turn my Wifi on!
A few years back, a group of five girls from year 9 in a school in North Jutland,
 Denmark, did an experiment, because they were having difficulty concentrating. “We all think we have experienced
 difficulty concentrating in school, and if we had slept with the phone next to our head we sometimes also
 experienced having difficulty sleeping,” explained one of the five researchers.
They took 400 watercress seeds and placed them in 12 trays. 6 trays were put in a room
 without radiation, and 6 in the next room with two Wifi routers. All the seeds were watered regularly and given the
 same conditions of light. After 12 days the results were clear: the cress seeds next to the router did not grow as
 well, and some of them mutated or died. The girls were shocked by the findings.
The experiment quickly drew international attention and research scientists went on to
 replicate it with double blind controls and also using the seeds of other plants such as mung beans. They added
 other experimental variables. Here is an example using mung bean seeds in seed trays in 4 different environments:

<div class="text-center">
 <img decoding="async" class="lazyload w-100"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/wifiexperiment_638f68bcc8.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-04T08:32:14.153Z">
 
 <img decoding="async" class="lazyload has-img-center"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/wifiplant_9ecd26dc16.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-04T08:32:55.281Z">
 
</div>
<hr class="vertical-space1">
Try it for yourself and see what happens. You can also devise other experiments to
 observe the effects of EMFs. We hope you will share your results at contributions@heartfulnessmagazine.com so that we all learn more about the
 effects of electrosmog.
One of the Danish students who did the original experiment with cress seeds said
 afterwards, “None of us sleep with the mobile next to the bed anymore. Either the phone is put far away, or it is
 put in another room. And the computer is always off.”
We have a choice: to opt for health and wellness, or ease and convenience. If you think
 it is worth being careful and taking preventative measures, here are a few simple things that can make a difference:

– Turn off the Wifi when you are not using it, including at
 night 
 – Don’t use a mobile phone in the car except when necessary, and especially don’t charge your phone in the car 
 – Keep your mobile phone in a bag, not in a pocket next to your body 
 – Only switch Bluetooth on when you really need to use it, otherwise turn it off 
 – Keep your phone away from your bed when you sleep 
 – Avoid giving small children phones to play with like toys
Can you add any more lifestyle habits to this list?
<hr class="vertical-space1">


<hr>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">Article by ELIZABETH DENLEY</h4>


<hr>

What we cannot see

<hr class="vertical-space1">
<h4>ELIZABETH DENLEY explores the role we can play in each others’ growth, and how
 this changes the atmosphere in any workplace.</h4>
<hr class="vertical-space1">
<h5 style="text-align: center;">It is greatest to believe 
 and to hope well of the world, 
 because he who does so quits the world, 
 and makes the world he lives in. 
 —Ralph Waldo Emerson</h5>
<div>
 <hr class="vertical-space1">
</div>
Social Intelligence. Emotional Intelligence. Teamwork. Cooperation. Harmony. Integration
 of different perspectives. Effective communication. Mutual trust and respect.
Today these qualities are recognized as super skills in the fast-paced world of
 corporate business. While it is a welcome thing that they are becoming more valued in corporate culture, it seems
 quite ludicrous that we had to wait for scientists and psychologists to tell us that emotional intelligence is a
 desirable human trait for success in the corporate world. Was it ever not a truism?
Such traits are neither highly evolved nor worthy of praise. In fact, they form our
 basic human duty to one another, and have been described in the human codes of conduct laid down over the centuries
 in all cultures: the eightfold path of Buddhism, the Sutras of Yoga, the Quran, the Bible, the Talmud, and many
 other indigenous codes. They remind us of the need for harmony, brotherhood and peace, which are at the foundation
 of functioning human society, and yet the world today is still plagued by conflict and inequality.
One solution is simply to cultivate these traits to get to first base, but I feel that
 we need to aim higher – we are setting the bar too low. Peaceful coexistence is not enough. We need to explore a
 deeper level of collective consciousness, and that is the realm of synergy and symbiosis. Synergy is when together
 we produce a combined effect that is greater than the sum of what we can do separately. In synergy we amplify and
 magnify each other. Like in physics, when two waves interact they can either amplify each other or dampen each
 other. When they vibrate at the same frequency, in phase with one another, they amplify each other, creating a wave
 that is greater than either wave on its own. When they are out of phase with one another, they may cancel each other
 out.


<hr>
<div>
 <h5 style="text-align: center;">Synergy is when together we produce a combined effect 
 that is greater than the sum of what we can do separately. 
 In synergy we amplify and magnify each other. 
 Like in physics, when two waves interact they can 
 either amplify each other or dampen each other. 
 When they vibrate at the same frequency, 
 in phase with one another, they amplify each other, 
 creating a wave that is greater than either wave on its own.
 </h5>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;"></div>
<hr>
Can we use this analogy to understand how to amplify each other when we work together in
 teams? Actually, the positive and the negative can both happen to great effect. For example, what happens when we
 amplify each other’s talents and skills, and neutralize each other’s weaknesses? Unfortunately, all too often we
 amplify each other’s weaknesses by judging and finding fault, and nullify each other’s talents and skills by harping
 on criticism. Which of these scenarios is evolutionary?
What is required for us to grow together and support each other to thrive? What will it
 take for us to recognize and nurture the genius in one another? Each of us does have a particular genius that can
 either develop or be squashed. And for humanity to really flourish, the genius of each individual piece of the human
 jigsaw puzzle must blossom and flourish. The consciousness that promotes development and synergy has been so
 beautifully expressed by Ram Chandra of Shahjahanpur in the words, “There is nothing wrong in thinking that you are
 great, but always think that the other person is greater.”
Another practice that I have found really works in nurturing synergy and symbiosis is to
 always focus on the potential in others rather than their manifest limitations. Trust the potential in others. Keep
 that goal as something tangible. It works with children’s education, and it also works with adults. They feel
 honored and supported by your thoughts.
Also, trust the potential within yourself. The ripple effect will work then. How to
 trust your own potential? That is where meditation comes into the picture – the more you uncover your inner
 potential, the easier it is to trust it and let it shine forth. We help ourselves to set the bar higher and higher
 all the time, and then we can help each other to do the same. It is one big positive feedback loop!
<div>
 <div>
 <div>
 <hr class="vertical-space1">
 </div>
 <div></div>
 </div>
 <div style="text-align: center;"></div>
</div>
<hr>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">Article by ELIZABETH DENLEY</h4>


<hr>

Synergy

<h4>Education is undergoing a revolution in India today, as classrooms expand their vision from an academic process of rote learning to include a broader all-round focus on the holistic education and well-being of both teachers and students. ELIZABETH DENLEY shares some of the work that is being done by the Heartfulness Education Trust in this rapidly evolving field.</h4>In the last three years, Heartfulness Education Trust has developed a noticeable presence in the schools of India. Heartfulness first offered value-based life skills programs for school children in the late 1980s, and since then the program has evolved enormously over the years to the point where, in 2016, it blossomed into a large-scale project to cater to the demands from schools for a more holistic approach to education for both teachers and students.<img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/heartfulness_schools_2_e0383dba76.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-04T13:05:55.463Z">The Trust was born from the vision that the most effective way to transform society in a generation is to provide teachers with the opportunity and tools for change, and empower them to transform their students. Here are some of the programs that are offered.<h3>FOR TEACHERS</h3>Heartfulness Teacher Training focuses on the qualities and skills of a heartful teacher. So who is a heartful teacher?<h4><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/heartfulness_schools_3_4b958c9f97.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-04T13:06:43.142Z"></h4><h4>A Heartful Teacher</h4>A Heartful Teacher will be a role model, one who is inspired and nurtures inspiration in students. Here are some specific qualities.The program for teachers is called the HEART Program, and is designed to develop the social, emotional and cognitive abilities of teachers. These are important qualities for leaders in today’s world. It is a multi-step year-long journey comprised of the following programs:<img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/heartfulness_schools_9_93ac369793.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-04T13:07:50.945Z">You can learn more about the HEART Program and each of its components at <a href="https://heartfulness.org/education/ training-and-curriculum/.">https://heartfulness.org/education/ training-and-curriculum/.</a><h3><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/heartfulness_schools_5_8192f14586.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-04T13:08:36.638Z"></h3><h3>FOR STUDENTS</h3><h4 style="text-align:justify;">The Heartfulness Way Curriculum for Years 1 to 9</h4>This suite of activities for school children has been designed to engage students in their own growth, bringing emotional and social intelligence as well as confidence and balance through simple lesson plans filled with engaging stories, activities and fun games. These activities were designed by a group of international professionals in the fields of educational pedagogy, value-based learning, occupational health, Mindfulness and Heartfulness. They are based on the 9 universal values defined by the United Nations for 21st century holistic education, and include 25 lessons for each year-group. Lesson plans for teachers and activity books for students are available.<img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/heartfulness_schools_4_925ecc9937.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-04T13:09:15.887Z"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/heartfulness_schools_8_306080889a.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-04T13:10:38.756Z"><h4>The <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/a-model-school-Heartfulness-lounge" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">HELP Program</a> for Years 10 to 12 (Heartfulness – Experience Life’s Potential)</h4>The program is a 16-week certificate course on life-skills and values that equip students with Heartfulness practices, knowledge and lifestyle skills for healthy balanced living.<img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/heartfulness_schools_6_6e8b8b4814.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-04T13:11:49.437Z"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/heartfulness_schools_7_0b4863d4bb.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-04T13:12:51.279Z">These schools programs are just one facet of the work the Education Trust is doing to provide healthy lifestyles for many groups in the community. To learn more about the Trust’s work, and also to find out about upcoming programs, please visit the website at <a href="https://heartfulness.org/education/">https://heartfulness.org/education/</a>.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Article by ELIZABETH DENLEY</h4><hr>

Heartfulness in schools

<h4>
 ELIZABETH DENLEY defines some of the
 key qualities of synchronicity and how it manifests in our daily life.
 She also explores our rational, scientific focus in recent centuries
 that has limited our awareness of synchronicity and our understanding of
 cause and effect.
</h4>

 Meaningful coincidences. Fated meetings. Chance encounters. Turning
 points. Events that are so significant they have the fragrance of
 synchronicity about them. It is as if the Universe is conspiring to
 bring something about. Such curious events used to be known as ‘magic’
 in ancient times. Today we refer to them as synchronicity.


 What is synchronicity? Is it a chance coming together of events and
 circumstances without any design or purpose? I don’t believe so. Perhaps
 the purpose is beyond our consciousness, so we dismiss the possibility
 that there is a connecting correspondence in these events. Perhaps
 synchronicity is a resonance with the divine plan, with the realms of
 Nature that we don’t see and so don’t understand?


 Carl Jung coined the term ‘synchronicity’ in the 1920s to describe
 meaningful connections that are not a result of cause and effect – he
 called them acausal cross-connections, or the occurrence of two
 meaningfully but not causally connected events.


 <img class="lazyload w-100 h-auto"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/synchronicity2_83114fa87c.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-05T06:51:06.115Z"
 alt="synchronicity2" />


 But Jung was not the first person to describe or try to understand
 synchronicity. Such meaningful connections had already been described by
 the ancients, including Avicenna and Albertus Magnus. In fact, before
 the scientific method focused all our attention on the need for visible
 proof of cause and effect, synchronicity was considered to be as
 fundamental as causality within natural law. It was only in the 18th
 century, with the rise of natural science, that causality became
 dominant and correspondence theory slowly vanished. Even today, however,
 for the so-called primitive mind, synchronicity is self-evident, needing
 no proof or justification. And all acts of creation are included.


 In fact, the ancients had a much more holistic worldview. Hippocrates
 wrote, “There is one common flow, one common breathing, all things are
 in sympathy. The whole organism and each one of its parts are working in
 conjunction for the same purpose … The great principle extends to the
 extremist part, and from the extremist part it returns to the great
 principle, to the one nature, being and not-being.”


 Shakespeare also expressed the same principle in his play,
 As You Like It, in his famous monologue about the seven ages of
 humanity, where Jacques starts by saying, “All the world’s a stage, and
 all the men and women merely players.” I wonder if Shakespeare
 understood the nature of the playwright?


 Carl Jung wrote extensively about synchronicity – about acausal
 connections and meaningful cross-connections between events. He called
 it acausal orderedness. In his book,
 Synchronicity: An Acausal Connecting Principle, he presents
 many experiments demonstrating examples of synchronicity. He also
 reasons that without space and time there is no causality. Anything that
 exists beyond space and time is, by definition, no longer bound by the
 laws of cause and effect. Jung considered synchronicity to be “a
 psychically conditioned relativity of space and time.”


 It begs the question: What about consciousness? Is consciousness bound
 by causality? And what about the human potentiality that lies beyond
 consciousness? Once we move beyond the physical realm into the realm of
 the mind and soul, we are not bound by the same constraints of time and
 space, cause and effect.

<hr />
<h5 style="text-align: center">
 Once we move beyond the physical realm 
 into the realm of the mind and soul, 
 we are not bound by the same constraints 
 of time and space, cause and effect.
</h5>
<hr />

 Schopenhauer spoke about the transcendental Will, “the subject of the
 great dream of life,” which creates life. In his worldview, it is from
 this Will that all causes radiate like longitudinal lines from the
 poles, existing in a meaningful relationship of simultaneity as they
 flow in synchronous parallel.


 Coming back to daily life, almost everyone has experienced that sense of
 recollection we call déjà vu. For example, you may walk along the street
 and meet someone new, and feel that you have done the same thing in the
 same place and have known that person before. Where does this ‘memory’
 come from? We regularly have experiences that are not measurable
 scientifically, because science requires repetition, analysis and
 inference, cause and effect. Some events are not repeatable, and are not
 measurable. Beyond measurability, intuitively we know that life is an
 expression of a deeper order of universal wholeness – an order that
 Babuji called the Divine Play.


 So how to understand this play? One way is to expand our consciousness
 so that we develop greater awareness of more of the spectrum of
 consciousness. We are then sensitive to synchronicity from a higher
 dimension, and we then experience connectivity and synchronicity in the
 light of vibrational compatibility at the subtle level.


 Vibrational compatibility is a vast subject. It determines the family a
 soul joins at the time of conception and the dimension a soul moves to
 at the time of death. It also determines so many of the choices we make
 during this life, including with whom we spend our time, what attracts
 us, what we do career-wise, and so much more. Just as iron filings are
 drawn to a magnet, the natural laws of vibrational compatibility pull
 events and people together in ways that are not always measurable by the
 scientific method. How can you scientifically measure why a soul joins
 the family in which it is born, for example?


 Is vibrational compatibility dependent on cause and effect? What is the
 cause and what is the effect when a soul is conceived in a family? Do
 the parents’ vibrational conditions draw the soul, or is it a
 synchronous event that is as much dependent on the state of the incoming
 soul as on the parents? Perhaps Schopenhauer’s image of the
 transcendental Will is more apt, from which all causes radiate like
 longitudinal lines from the poles, existing in a relationship of
 synchronicity as they flow in parallel, all connected to the same
 source. At any rate, it is worth exploring.


 Having worked as a research scientist, I feel we have shortchanged
 ourselves and our view of knowledge during the last few centuries, by
 limiting ourselves only to the scientific method. Of course it is a
 wonderful approach, and very useful, as it allows us to formulate
 hypotheses and either verify or falsify their validity. We learn to
 observe, record and infer, continually replicating and refining our
 observations and understanding in order to learn more about the world.
 But it is only one approach, based in duality.


 In the process, we have ignored the possibility of direct perception,
 which comes from inner connection and a deeper capacity of consciousness
 to download knowledge from dimensions beyond duality, where acausal
 connections are natural. Maybe the time is here when we once more value
 synchronicity.

<hr />
<h4 style="text-align: center">Article by ELIZABETH DENLEY</h4>
<hr />

Synchronicity

<hr class="vertical-space1" />
<h4>
 “What we do now echoes in eternity,” said Marcus Aurelius. The transition of
 the past few months has been stressful but also a time to remove obsolete
 habits, to rebuild our priorities, and to explore new paradigms. With this in
 mind, PURNIMA RAMAKRISHNAN interviewed
 DR. ELIZABETH DENLEY on our ability to
 adapt to changes during COVID times. Elizabeth holds a PhD in ecology as well
 as having spent over 30 years practicing Yoga and studying the yogic sciences.
 She sees the bridging of science and spirituality as the way of the future.
</h4>
<hr class="vertical-space1" />

 Q: Elizabeth, the word “crisis” has a Greek root which means “the turning
 point of a disease, perhaps when recovery is imminent.” So, as the wise
 elders say, every crisis is an opportunity. How can we use this time to
 elevate ourselves as a species?


 ED: Let’s ask ourselves, “What is it that
 humanity needs right now?” It’s a very big question. How will people view this
 time a hundred years from now? Will they look back and say we did the best we
 could? I listened to a podcast the other day, of Krista Tippett interviewing
 Jacqueline Novogratz, and she said something very profound: We need to write a
 love letter to the next generation. What is the legacy we’ll be leaving them?
 What is our love letter to them? There is a profound awareness that comes with
 the idea that what was “normal” before COVID was very abnormal. It was not in
 tune with nature. We were heading on a kamikaze suicidal path to mass
 destruction. Many people know it today. It was already well-known in the ’70s.
 It was already known in the ’50s when Rachel Carson wrote
 Silent Spring.


 Yet, with all our knowledge, we seem to be heading closer and closer to the
 abyss. The same is true of our relationships, as you mentioned before. We’ve
 known about the problems of modern culture, digital technology, and the need
 for digital detox for quite a long time. We have also known the problems of
 pollution for so long. It’s not a lack of knowledge that is stopping us from
 changing.

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

 <img
 class="has-img-center lazyload"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/loveltter_future_part2_2_img_ee61e45ead.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-05T10:39:22.403Z"
 alt="a-love-letter-to-the-future-part-2-2"
 />

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

 It’s creating the consciousness to do something about the knowledge we have.
 It’s not enough to know. So, the question then is: How do we raise our
 consciousness to a level where we can make the necessary changes? We all know
 what’s right and wrong morally, and yet do we do what’s right? No. Otherwise,
 we wouldn’t be in this crisis.


 The biggest hurdle we face is that our tendencies, our patterns, come mostly
 from our subconscious. They are all laid down in our formative years, and it
 is difficult to change these patterns. I’ll give you an example. If you’ve
 grown up learning that it is safer to lie so you are not beaten or ostracized,
 you will learn from a very early age that it’s safer to tell lies. It becomes
 an ingrained pattern. So, you hide things from your parents, you hide things
 from your teachers. It could be that you haven’t done your homework, or you’ve
 done something wrong, or whatever. When these patterns become engraved in your
 subconscious, how to learn to tell the truth as an adult? Even to yourself.


 How do we become honest with ourselves about who we are? How do we have the
 self-acceptance, the self-compassion to do this when we have never been taught
 self-acceptance and self-compassion as a young child? How do we learn to
 listen to our hearts, listen to our feelings if we have never been asked the
 question as a young child, “How do you feel?”


 It is not that we don’t want to change; all of us want to change. The
 difficulty is in how to do it, given that the subconscious patterns are so
 deep? Well, of course it takes work, but the tools are there.


 This is what Yoga is all about – getting rid of those layers of complexities
 that cause individual suffering. It all starts with cleaning the roots of all
 the tendencies in the subconscious mind. And in Yoga those roots are called
 samskaras or impressions. Until they’re gone, there is no possibility of
 change. It’s like cutting down a tree but leaving the roots, and the shoots
 come up again.


 You can go through all the psychoanalysis and self-help you want, but unless
 you remove the root samskara, it will sprout again. The practice of removing
 samskaras is essential to bring about change.


 In parallel, behavior also has to change; that’s why I mentioned a moral
 revolution earlier. COVID has given us the opportunity to pause and think
 about what that moral revolution could be. Can we envision a world that is
 different from before? Can we recalibrate ourselves personally? Can we
 simplify our lives so that we move forward without going down the same
 destructive path? It’s possible. I have a lot of hope.


 This morning I was out for a walk, and I saw some pathways made of slate
 tiles, and between the slate, in the hot sun of an Indian summer, there were
 little plants coming up between the gray slate. Hardly any soil and yet they
 grow there. They had little flowers. If small plants can grow in such an arid,
 difficult environment, there is hope for us too. We can turn this around.

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

 <img
 class="has-img-center lazyload"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/loveltter_future_part2_3_img_1f1ccc452a.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-05T10:39:22.411Z"
 alt="a-love-letter-to-the-future-part-2-3"
 />

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

 I’m very hopeful for the future. I’m not denying the suffering and the
 problems we face. They are massive, and for that reason it’s our duty to help
 each other, to stop hoarding toilet paper and hoarding this and hoarding that.
 The way forward is to share, to take each other along and go forward together.
 And hopefully, that will be the outcome of this crisis, this opportunity to
 change direction.


 Q: It felt so joyful, Elizabeth, when you spoke about those small plants
 sprouting in between the slate sheets. So, what do you think is the way
 forward for the future? Can you share something that is easy to understand,
 and easy to execute?


 ED: You’re asking: How to create
 compassionate consciousness in our culture? I can only share what I know, and
 other people may have other ways. The way I know is through heart-based
 meditation. We need the heart. The mind is wonderful, but without the heart
 guiding it we’re lost. And I think that’s where we have gone wrong. We have
 developed incredible technology and incredible advancements in science, but
 without the heart we end up with nuclear missiles and plastic everything.
 Amazing technology, no heart, no care.


 How to develop the heart? Through simple heart-based practices. Put your
 attention there. First, you have to get rid of the complexities, the emotional
 complications that are there. You need pure consciousness. And you also need
 to learn to witness your heart and listen to it. That’s meditation. It’s a
 simple thing.

<hr class="vertical-space1" />
<hr />
<h5 style="text-align: center">
 This morning I was out for a walk, 
 and I saw some pathways made of slate tiles, 
 and between the slate, 
 in the hot sun of an Indian summer, 
 there were little plants coming up 
 between the gray slate. 
 Hardly any soil and yet they grow there. 
 They had little flowers. 
 If small plants can grow in such 
 an arid, difficult environment, 
 there is hope for us too. 
 We can turn this around.
 
</h5>
<hr />
<hr class="vertical-space1" />

 Develop your instrument of perception, your instrument of guidance, your
 instrument of conscience – your heart. Balance yourself, as the heart is the
 midpoint of the human chakra system. It’s where the physical body, the subtle
 body and the soul join. The heart is the seat of the soul. So, when you put
 your attention on your heart, what are you developing? All the heart-based
 qualities – love, courage, compassion, empathy, kindness, willpower, and
 resilience – the strength to overcome challenges, to make changes.


 It’s not enough just to be compassionate and loving, you also need the
 capacity to bring about change.


 I mentioned prayer earlier because it allows us to go into the heart,
 completely open the heart and create a connection with the higher Self. While
 we’re in that state of love, the infinite vastness of the heart, we can use
 our willpower to make a suggestion for change. For example, the thought that
 all humanity is becoming peace-loving, or all humanity is becoming giving. The
 effect will magnify, it will echo out into the universe, it will ripple out
 way beyond us.


 When we do this, our thought ripples out in all directions. If everybody does
 it, the problem is solved. How can we have conflict when we’re in the heart?
 The heart is the “we” where we connect. The heart is the vastness of our
 oneness.


 In the heart, you and I are not separate. On the ego level we’re different
 individuals. On the heart level we’re the same. When we’re all connected,
 which we are anyway, everything that happens in the universe affects all of
 us.


 Quantum physics tells us the same thing – an electron in one part of the
 universe affects one on the other side of the universe, because they are
 connected.

<hr class="vertical-space1" />
<hr />
<h5 style="text-align: center">
 First, you have to get rid of the complexities, 
 the emotional complications that are there. 
 You need pure consciousness. 
 And you also need to learn to witness 
 your heart and listen to it. 
 That’s meditation. 
 It’s a simple thing.
</h5>
<hr />
<hr class="vertical-space1" />

 <img
 class="has-img-center lazyload"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/loveltter_future_part2_4_img_d9deeceece.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-05T10:39:22.320Z"
 alt="a-love-letter-to-the-future-part-2-4"
 />

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

 How to live that connection every day? By doing simple practices, and by
 letting go of all the fears that hold us from exploring this. I find the
 younger generation more open to the exploration because they want a better
 world. Why are school children demonstrating against climate change? Because
 they want a different world. It’s their future and we have messed it up for
 them. Hopefully, we will start to listen to their voices, we will write our
 love letter to the next generation, and say we’re sorry, we want to help build
 a future.


 I don’t think it’s about huge political plans. It’s about what we can do as
 individuals. We change things by changing ourselves. When that happens the
 world will surely change.

<hr class="vertical-space1" />
<hr />
<h4 style="text-align: center">Interviewed by PURNIMA RAMAKRISHNAN</h4>
<hr />

A love letter to the future - part 2

<hr class="vertical-space1">
<h4>As Africa emerges as a continent of growth, positive change and potential in the 21st century, ELIZABETH DENLEY travels to Nairobi, Kenya, for an international Heartfulness
 Conference with a difference – the average age of participants is between 20 and 25! The atmosphere is dynamic,
 vibrant and full of the hopes and dreams of a new generation.</h4>
<hr class="vertical-space1">
The first ever International Heartfulness Conference on African soil was held in August 2018 in Nairobi.
Since 2016 Heartfulness Institute has been affiliated with the CAP Youth Empowerment
 Initiative, a local NGO offering life-skills and employability training for youth from disadvantaged sections of
 society. CAP and Heartfulness work hand in hand to provide a humanitarian and self-sustainable approach to
 supporting the needs of youth. It is a mutually beneficial and complementary collaboration including a basic 3-month
 introduction to Heartfulness practice, which has been offered in 15 CAP centers in different regions of Kenya. To
 date this program has reached over 10,000 students. The conference was designed primarily for these youth, to deepen
 their practice and have a positive impact on their lives.
<hr class="vertical-space1">
<img decoding="async" class="lazyload w-100"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/kenya2_eb449525d3.jpg"
 alt="kenya-empowering-the-new-generation">
<hr class="vertical-space1">
This vision resonates with the African Union’s agenda for 2063: “The aspirations reflect
 our desire for shared prosperity and wellbeing, for unity and integration, for a continent of free citizens and
 expanded horizons, where the full potential of women and youth, boys and girls are realized, and with freedom from
 fear, disease and want.” The Union has a magnificent vision for the continent – towards a peaceful, prosperous and
 integrated Africa by 2063.
<hr class="vertical-space1">
<img decoding="async" class="lazyload w-100"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/kenya3_11c1501071.jpg"
 alt="kenya-empowering-the-new-generation">
<hr class="vertical-space1">
The Heartfulness Conference was attended by 550 young CAP alumni, between the ages of 18
 and 25, and 80 other Heartfulness practitioners from Africa – South Africa, Kenya, Madagascar, Congo Brazzaville,
 Ethiopia, Eritrea, Tanzania, Cameroon, Uganda – and also from the UK, Australia, Dubai and India. The conference
 also attracted key guests from other NGOs, government representatives and the Deputy Governor of Kiambu County, as
 well as local TV channels and newspapers.
Three children from South Africa showcased the Brighter Minds program, and after the
 conference a dedicated training session was held to qualify Brighter Minds trainers for the African region.
A delegate from the UK, Stephanie Sismondi, writes: “Breakfast is simple, happy and
 joyful. I have a chat to two of the Kenyan trainers and they are cheerful, simple in their approach to life and so
 committed. One of them tells me that she loves her job, and that changing someone’s life is quite something. The
 Kenyan trainers are full of life and commitment and such a lot of fun to be with.
“I also chat to a sister from Cameroon who tells me about her own spiritual journey. One
 thing that strikes me is that when she had been searching for meditation, it was love that she was looking for. Her
 previous experiences were that of an all-powerful and punitive God, whereas her heart was telling her otherwise. In
 Heartfulness, she finds the love she needs.
<hr class="vertical-space1">
<img decoding="async" class="lazyload w-100"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/kenya4_d7cf95f7b9.jpg"
 alt="kenya-empowering-the-new-generation">
<hr class="vertical-space1">
“The Kenyan trainers are very skilled in activities and icebreakers, which are hilarious
 and totally light hearted, and their way of communicating with the youth is incredibly natural and very funny. When
 the CAP students are asked what they feel after experiencing meditation, quite a few stand up and share their
 feelings so beautifully:
 I feel refreshed and free.
I feel light hearted.
I can let go of my bitterness and anger.
It is time to be something different.
In this process I cleared off my mind, I was in my own
 world.
“The end of the day is marked by an eventful and cheerful late afternoon party conducted
 by DJ Pierre Ravan from Dubai, who invites the CAP youth on a journey first through relaxation and meditation and
 then on to music and dance. Many questions come up, all incredibly honest, astute, fearless and ever so direct, just
 like the youth themselves. There is so much joy, relaxation and peace in the audience’s heart. It is very moving. At
 the end, everybody is dancing – CAP youth and other delegates, both young and not so young!
<hr class="vertical-space1">
<img decoding="async" class="lazyload w-100"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/kenya5_4e3b57f6c7.jpg"
 alt="kenya-empowering-the-new-generation">
<hr class="vertical-space1">
“The Kenyans and the African peoples’ openness to Heartfulness knows no boundaries.”
When asked what youth empowerment means to them, some of the youth shared:
To support us to become what we want to be.
Talking to that potential energy inside each one of us. Also,
 there is nobody that is less than anyone else.
You go from a zero to a hero.
At this last one, everybody cheered!
Emily Maina, the Minister for Education, Kiambu County, spoke about the government’s
 policies: “Our youth need space to express themselves both physically and virtually. The government wants to give
 authority to the youth and has implemented several policies and programs that focus on women, on deprived youth, and
 on the training of experts who can connect youth on their targeted capabilities.”
And the Deputy Governor for Kiambu County said that the best ideas come from youth; it
 is for them to be innovative.
In the words of one participant, “The conference ended leaving us with hope in the
 heart, joy and contentment for the youth of Africa, as well as all youth in the world. We are ever so grateful for
 the friendships, the spiritual partnerships and lessons for life that we have received over the course of this
 conference.”
<hr class="vertical-space1">
<img decoding="async" class="lazyload w-100"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/kenya6_3ebb8e8039.jpg"
 alt="kenya-empowering-the-new-generation">
<hr class="vertical-space1">
There is still a lot to do. Not all of these youth receive an income, even after being
 trained. Many live in poverty, and do not know where their next meal is coming from. There are still obstacles to
 them finding jobs or starting businesses, despite the good intentions of the government to support them. The fact
 that such joy was evident during this conference is a tribute to the human spirit. Imagine how much more joy is
 possible if we come together in oneness, in Heartfulness.
And so the work continues …
<hr class="vertical-space1">


<hr>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">Article by ELIZABETH DENLEY</h4>


<hr>

Kenya – empowering the new generation

<h4>
 ELIZABETH DENLEY
 has been a student of both science and spirituality all her life. Trained as
 a scientist, she turned her field of inquiry and research skills to the
 field of meditation and spirituality after starting the Heartfulness
 practices in the late 80s. Here she shares some thoughts on the importance
 of self-acceptance.
</h4>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


 Our modern societies are not conducive to self-acceptance, self-compassion,
 and self-love. Marketers and advertisers are ever-ready to convince us that we
 “need” so many different things to be acceptable, whether it be clothes and
 cosmetics, health, happiness …. In fact, more than ever before we are
 surrounded by unspoken social norms about what is acceptable and what is not,
 and we are coerced into longing for things that are not us. The fashion
 industry is based on this longing. So is our healthcare system. So is our
 education system. So is religion. We are constantly being told that we need
 certain things in order to be good enough, but we are not encouraged to
 discover what those things are for ourselves.



 A lifetime of striving to feel comfortable in my own skin has been a journey
 of ups and downs, and even today there are moments of dread when I still feel
 inadequate, a failure, and totally out of sorts with myself. But an inner
 sense of contentment and stability has gradually grown over the years, and
 this article is about that journey.


<h4>
 Why is self-acceptance important?
</h4>


 First, let me start by saying that self-acceptance is not about wanting to
 stay the same. A healthy life of continuous improvement is very important to
 me. In fact, self-acceptance is a fundamental prerequisite for personal
 transformation – to be able to look inside, accept my flaws, work toward
 something nobler, and uncover the beauty within. This takes courage.



 Most of our habits – both mental-emotional and behavioral – are a result of
 subconscious patterns that have been there since early childhood. Whether we
 accept that they arose only during this life or that they have also come from
 previous lives doesn’t really matter. They are from the past. They are wired
 into our neural circuitry from a time that we can no longer change. Many of us
 blame our families, our societies, and our circumstances for these patterns.
 Many of us also feel shame or guilt at the things that have stunted our
 emotional well-being. We remain victims of the past. There is a hidden world
 of woundedness within, so that when current circumstances mirror the past, we
 react in the same patterns, often out of fear. It is hard to feel
 self-acceptance in those moments.



 Fortunately or unfortunately – whichever way you want to look at it – we are
 all in the same boat! No one is immune from this state of human imperfection
 and vulnerability because of our life experience. Our parents were not perfect
 in the way they raised us, our extended families are not perfect, our
 communities and societies are far from perfect. Even the great sages and
 saints of the past were not perfect. We glorify them, but their lives were
 filled with imperfections. What to do? Stay wallowing in self-pity, or become
 aggressive and lash out? Until we come to some level of acceptance of our own
 past and how it has shaped who we are, we have not reached adulthood, no
 matter our age.


<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<div class="block-image">
 <figure>
 <img width="327" height="500" alt="Self-acceptance2" class="has-img-center lazyload"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Self_acceptance2_1559dbbcdf.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-06T11:15:47.418Z" />
 </figure>
</div>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<hr />

<h5 class="has-text-align-center">
 It is easy to accept ourselves when things are going well.
 It is in moments of despair or disappointment,
 when challenges are staring us in the face,
 that we need to call on an inner reserve
 of self-acceptance and self-love.
</h5>

<hr />

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


 And what is the underlying basis of the problem? Expectation. We are taught to
 expect from the word go. As a result, we develop desires – the desire to do
 what brings pleasure, success, and happiness, and the desire to avoid what
 brings pain, failure, and disappointment. So, when things go wrong, we don’t
 always have the resilience to go through hardship graciously. When that
 sinking feeling engulfs the heart, we go into a black hole. Yet we all know
 that life will bring us a mixture of pleasure and pain, success and failure,
 happiness and disappointment. No one is immune from that, no matter how
 successful they may appear.


<h4>
 How to?
</h4>


 It is easy to accept ourselves when things are going well. It is in moments of
 despair or disappointment, when challenges are staring us in the face, that we
 need to call on an inner reserve of self-acceptance and self-love. How to do
 this? Most of us need practice, because we have forgotten the art of self-love
 – it has been drummed out of us, and it needs to be revived. And before
 self-love and self-compassion are even possible, we first need
 self-acceptance.



 This is where my spiritual practice has helped so much. It is in the heart
 that I feel heartache, and once I learned to meditate on the heart, dive deep
 into the heart, and remove the complexities and entanglements of the past from
 my heart, I could feel such lightness and carefreeness that I knew
 self-acceptance was possible. Suddenly there was light. Suddenly there was
 hope.



 Was it like a magic wand, where all the heartache was gone? Yes and no.
 Definitely there was a huge shift from that first moment I sat with a
 Heartfulness trainer to meditate. It was an immediate turning point. But life
 goes on, and the onward journey is full of ups and downs, like any journey.
 Dislodging expectations and dislodging the ego’s attachments are a constant
 companion – the process of continuous improvement toward a perfection that is
 always beyond reach, no matter how far we go. That is evolution, the nature of
 physical existence. Perfection is not possible in this dimension.


<h4>
 What to do?
</h4>


 The turning point can come at any age in life. I was in my thirties when it
 happened. But what if we could offer this to future generations from
 preconception onward? What if we could immerse our children in love to the
 extent that they accept themselves and all their imperfections, so that they
 can better navigate the ups and downs in life without it being such a
 struggle? What if they understood the purpose of the ups and downs? What if
 they could go through this journey with a light and joyous approach?


<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<div class="block-image">
 <figure>
 <img width="327" height="500" alt="Self-acceptance3" class="has-img-center lazyload"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Self_acceptance3_99d1d15a20.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-06T11:16:56.919Z" />
 </figure>
</div>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


 All that is possible if we first prepare ourselves. We cannot expect others to
 do it for us. Self-acceptance goes hand in hand with many other qualities, but
 it is fundamental to those other qualities unfolding.



 It reminds me of something that happened in 1998 when I was visiting my
 spiritual teacher, Chariji, in India. A group of us were sitting with him on
 Marina Beach in Chennai one evening as the sun was setting, and he mentioned
 that the current era is very important for the spiritual progress of humanity
 because the Transmission1 is of a quality that has not been seen
 for 5,000 years and will not be seen again for another 10,000 years. One of
 the Europeans asked, “So Chariji, how can we best make use of this gift?” He
 replied, “There are three things you can do: Satsangh with the
 Guide, Give more than you receive, and Self-acceptance.”



 It was a surprise for most of us that he said “self-acceptance” in that
 moment. In fact, it was a wake-up call to realize just how fundamental it is
 to humanity’s future. Self-acceptance is a prerequisite to accepting others.
 Acceptance of others is a prerequisite to overcoming prejudice and creating
 harmony. Harmony is a prerequisite to peace and unity, and peace and unity are
 prerequisites to humanity’s future.


<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<div class="block-image">
 <figure>
 <img width="571" alt="Self-acceptance4" class="lazyload has-img-center"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Self_acceptance4_d12495214a.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-06T11:18:02.980Z" />
 </figure>
</div>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<hr />

<h5 class="has-text-align-center">
 Self-acceptance is a prerequisite to accepting others.
 Acceptance of
 others is a prerequisite to overcoming prejudice and creating harmony.
 Harmony is a prerequisite to peace and unity, and peace and
 unity are prerequisites to humanity’s future.
</h5>

<hr />

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


 Start simply, in the heart. Create belonging and inclusivity within you.
 Immerse yourself in the ocean of peace within yourself, through meditation,
 and then let it radiate outward from you into your world. Realize that none of
 us are supposed to go through this journey alone. Every day is a new dawn,
 every dawn is a new hope, and together we will create a culture of belonging
 and unity where all are accepted. In this egregore of love and acceptance, our
 human potential will lift to a whole new level that we can only imagine right
 now.


<hr class="vertical-space1" />


 1
 “Transmission removes the inner complexities or knots in our energy field,
 so that the spiritual centers or chakras are cleaned and illuminated.
 Transmission removes the obstacles on the journey to the Source and makes
 meditation truly dynamic. … You can think of it as original, cosmic energy
 or divine essence flowing from the Guide into the hearts of seekers.”
 -Daaji, from Designing Destiny.


<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<hr />

<h4 class="has-text-align-center">Illustrations by ANANYA PATEL</h4>

<hr />

Self-acceptance

<h4>Is there a survival value to prejudice? ELIZABETH DENLEY explores how this
 destructive human behavior may have arisen, why it is so hard for us to let go of our prejudices, and what we can do
 to transcend them.</h4>

Most of us don’t think of ourselves as prejudiced, yet collectively we have created a
 world of judgment, family and community conflicts, religious differences, war, hatred and a glaring lack of global
 harmony. It is a world where fear is palpable in the atmosphere in many places.
Why and how does prejudice arise? According to yogic science, its roots are in the
 original samskara of fear that arose at the time of creation – fear of separation from the original state of
 oneness. As a result, we developed survival mechanisms to protect the individual "I". We learnt to protect ourselves
 and shy away from threats, whether real or perceived. That is how the mammalian brain developed over millions of
 years. We learnt to exercise caution. We used the functions of the mind like intellect and thinking in order to make
 choices, based on the dualities of "right and wrong," "good and bad," "likes and dislikes," "evolutionary and
 non-evolutionary," "life and death." Based on past experiences, we decided what was good and bad etc.
Is there is a survival value to prejudice from an evolutionary perspective? After years
 of observing, both as a biologist and a yogic practitioner, I would say the answer is yes, but only because we are not
 able to use our inner faculties, the full inner potential of our subtle bodies. The more we can use their potential
 through meditative practices, the more prejudice can be transcended.

<img
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/minefield2_15e356bee9.jpg" alt="" class="w-100" />

Prejudice is pre-judgment. It is a deviation from a neutral response, where we pre-judge
 in a positive direction as partiality, or we pre-judge in a negative direction as prejudice. These "likes" and
 "dislikes" towards situations and people are based on cognates we have formed from our past experiences. If we are
 able to observe these reactions, we will recognize the deviations and adjust ourselves. It is like a tightrope walker
 who is constantly adjusting back to the state of balance.
It all hinges on our ability to discriminate wisely. Another word for this is
 discernment. Without a pure field of consciousness, discrimination is not possible. It doesn’t matter how
 intellectually great, how much knowledge we have, or how hard we try, it’s not possible to discriminate without
 purity. This is a very important clue to understanding why we develop prejudices – when we are not able to
 discriminate in the moment, instead we have to follow rules, and these rules are our pre-judgments.
<hr>
<h5 style="text-align: center;">Prejudice is pre-judgment.
 It is a deviation from a neutral response,
 where we pre-judge in a positive direction as partiality,
 or we pre-judge in a negative direction as prejudice.</h5>
<hr>
Say you have never experienced fire before. You might experiment by putting your hand in
 the fire, and you will very quickly learn not to do it again. Or if your mother once stuck her hand in the fire, she
 will teach you that fire is dangerous, and you will not have to undergo the experience yourself. This wisdom is passed
 down from generation to generation. We also have a collective consciousness that extends beyond us as individuals. In
 fact, over millions of years, the midbrain, which we share with other mammals, evolved to protect us from
 environmental danger. We learned to interact with the world through a negative lens. Our ancestors survived because
 they anticipated danger and stayed safe.
We are also connected at a deeper level through the heart, and so collectives of human
 beings have the ability to absorb knowledge from each other – by osmosis if you like – in the collective unconscious.
 And our minds go into patterns very, very easily. Our minds easily learn from collective experience. On one side we
 call that wisdom and adaptation, just as it is wise not to put your hand in the fire a second time.
But imagine now that your ancestors were at war with another community, and many of your
 family members were killed. Over generations the dislike has been passed down from generation to generation, even
 though the war was hundreds of years ago. You could still have a prejudice against this other community, even if they
 have changed since that time. Perhaps they are now loving and harmonious. Or what if your ancestors had actually been
 at fault and started the war, and the others were simply defending themselves? Would your prejudice be justified?
 There are many ethical dilemmas in this minefield of prejudice!
<hr>
<h5 style="text-align: center;">Wisdom emerges in a pure field of consciousness,
 offering decisions that are relevant and useful in the present
 for survival and well-being, whereas prejudice is colored and distorted.
 Wisdom depends on the whole process of cognition:
 from gathering information through the senses,
 to processing it through the subtle bodies,
 to the soul’s response.
</h5>
<hr>
So what is the difference between using the past cognates of experience in a wise way –
 e.g. not putting your hand in the fire – and using the past cognates of experience in a prejudicial way – e.g. hating
 a group of people because of a war that happened hundreds of years ago? The process of retrieving past cognates as a
 reference is the same, and the body responds to the mind’s learning process in the same way. If I am afraid of others
 without any real basis, the same hormonal responses and the same sympathetic nervous responses occur in my body as if
 I am afraid of a real threat. The body responds in the same way. So how to discriminate between useful pre-judgment
 and prejudice or partiality?
Wisdom emerges in a pure field of consciousness, offering decisions that are relevant
 and useful in the present for survival and well-being, whereas prejudice is colored and distorted. Wisdom depends on
 the whole process of cognition: from gathering information through the senses, to processing it through the subtle
 bodies, to the soul’s response. When the field of consciousness is pure, we can listen to the soul’s response through
 the heart, without the filters of emotion coloring our decisions. When the field of consciousness is turbulent and
 murky, can we trust that voice?
Listening to the voice of the heart takes courage. And if we don’t have that courage?
 Then it’s easier to follow a set of predetermined rules to feel safe – our prejudices – even if they are not relevant.
 Those rules come from our library of samskaras. Why is a person terrified of snakes? Perhaps in a past life
 he was bitten by a snake and died. It doesn’t mean that all snakes are bad or dangerous, but the person has created a
 rule to stay safe.
<hr>
<h5 style="text-align: center;">Spiritual evolution is all about change,
 about letting go of the rules and
 the boundaries that define our own creation.
 So spirituality dismantles prejudice.
 In fact spiritual progress is the antidote to prejudice,
 because we cannot hold on to fixed beliefs
 when we grow spiritually.
 We’re dismantling our belief systems.</h5>
<hr>
This is the basis of prejudice. And it is probably why we resist and fear change so
 much, because with change the rules change, and we no longer feel safe and secure. And of course spiritual evolution
 is all about change, about letting go of the rules and the boundaries that define our own creation. So spirituality
 dismantles prejudice. In fact spiritual progress is the antidote to prejudice, because we cannot hold on to fixed
 beliefs when we grow spiritually. We’re dismantling our belief systems.
Yet it is difficult because our minds are patterned with very deep samskaras.
 We can sometimes feel as if our very survival is threatened, because many of these tendencies have been created over
 lifetimes and in our early childhood. There can be so much resistance to the process of change. Tolerance, patience
 and, most of all, love are needed to get through it, because this is our evolution.
To explore the idea of spiritual progress being the
 antidote to prejudice, let’s look at what happens as we practice Heartfulness:
Meditation teaches us to become aware, to dive deeper into the heart, the
feeling level of existence, and to observe the inner world. Meditation allows us to listen to the heart, which allows us
to discriminate and develop wisdom. This is essential for removing prejudices.
Cleaning removes complexities and impurities
 from the field of consciousness, allowing discrimination to emerge.
Prayer creates a vacuumized field in the heart,
 in which wisdom can emerge from a neutral superconscious state. Prayer negates the ‘I’, as we are connected. We can’t
 feel superior or separate from anyone else in a prayerful state of being.
The Ten Maxims are a simple prescription to
 remove prejudice. They are designed to replace earlier cognates. One that exemplifies this beautifully is Maxim 9:
 “Mold your behavior and way of living to such a high order as to rouse a feeling of love and piety in others.” Ram
 Chandra explains that, on one hand, there is unity in Nature. We all have the same essence of Divinity. On the other
 hand there is diversity, where we are all different, we all have our various attributes, our genius. And anybody who
 can accept the unity and diversity in Nature will rouse a feeling of love and piety in others, effectively canceling
 out prejudice.
Constant Remembrance keeps us connected in a meditative state throughout the day
 and night. It is preventative, as the field of consciousness cannot accumulate complexities and impurities.
These spiritual practices allow us to look inward and purify the heart. Otherwise how
 will the heart discriminate? And when it can’t discriminate it resorts to pre-judging.
Over the years, I have learnt to see the dismantling of my prejudices as a barometer of
 my evolution. And when I can’t see my own patterns, other people are there to help – what I don’t like in others is a
 mirror of myself; what I am partial to in others is also a mirror of myself. That is a boon from Nature that allows me
 to change. It’s an opportunity for growth. In this, there is hope and vision for humanity.

Excerpts from a talk given in August 2013 in a seminar for
 North American Heartfulness practitioners. Edited for publication.
<hr>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">Article by ELIZABETH DENLEY</h4>
<hr>

The minefield of prejudice

<h4>From the 1 to 3 August 2019, an international group of academics, thought leaders, Yoga and meditation
 practitioners, and corporate consultants and managers came together at the Indian Institute of Management,
 Bangalore, the premier business school in India, to address the topic of “Elevating Consciousness Through Meditation
 for Global Harmony.” ELIZABETH DENLEY shares some insights on the activities
 and ripple effect this conference had on the participants and the field of management, and interviews a number of
 the presenters and delegates.</h4>
At this pivotal time in human history, we are seeing the winds of change sweep through
 management schools around the world. While the existing paradigms of business and management have been successful in
 many ways, they have never been sustainable. We now realize that a significant shift in human consciousness is
 needed for us to continue to survive on Earth. Without this shift, management schools are no longer serving any
 useful purpose; in fact they will only cause more harm.
Dr. Ramnath Naranswamy, Professor of Economics and Social Sciences at IIMB, had this to
 say during his keynote address: “Management as an academic discipline developed during a dynamic period of knowledge
 growth and expansion in the western world, evolving out of Fordism and Taylorism. To enrich and balance that
 perspective, today the need to incorporate heart-based principles of leadership, service and character ethics has
 become increasingly vital. In particular, meditation offers a way to cultivate emotional, social and spiritual
 intelligence, and a way to elevate and expand consciousness. Nowadays the mainstream business community acknowledges
 that meditative life skills are fundamental to well-being and happiness.” But there is more to the story. These life
 skills also provide us with the elevated consciousness to embrace a new set of paradigms; those needed to solve the
 current problems facing humanity and take us forward.
This conference was a first. While there have been many forums on management and
 meditation, this gathering brought together the science of consciousness from the meditative traditions, especially
 Yoga, with scientific and management principles, and with simple practical tools in order to elevate consciousness.

<hr>
<h5 style="text-align: center;">This gathering brought together 
 the science of consciousness from 
 the meditative traditions, especially Yoga, 
 with scientific and management principles, and 
 with simple practical tools in order to 
 elevate consciousness.</h5>
<hr>
Alain Desvigne, Group CEO and co-founder of the Amarenco Group, a European sustainable
 energy company, and Director of the Heartfulness Institute in France, presented a few chilling facts about our
 current business models, and proposed the 18th Sustainable Development Goal of “Evolution of Consciousness” as the
 solution to implementing the other 17. He challenged everyone to consider bringing the evolution of individual and
 collective consciousness front and center stage, so as to offer new avenues of thought to tackle the SDGs: “A
 radical change requires a radical shift of approach!” His paper will be featured in the next issue of Heartfulness
 magazine.
<img decoding="async" alt="" class="lazyload w-100"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/consciousness_IIM_2_18c12cc6ad.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-07T12:44:26.389Z">

Sharat Hegde, Director of the Heartfulness Institute in India, summarized the activities
 in the following way: “The participants came from 15 countries and all regions of India, comprising researchers,
 academics, leaders and practitioners from different faiths and professional backgrounds, who came together to
 explore the urgent need to elevate consciousness, the tools and techniques available, and the outcome from these
 tools and techniques. The conference brought together wisdom and practical aspects for individual and organizational
 transformation. There is growing research on the positive impact of meditation, including studies on Heartfulness
 Meditation that were presented at the conference.”
Mr. Hegde also noted that, “Over the course of the three days, the discussion moved from
 understanding the philosophical aspects of consciousness, to the research findings, and finally on day 3 to the
 implementational aspects in organizations and the changes needed in management policies. Organizations and
 management schools can benefit immensely by understanding these aspects, which are so fundamental to individual
 behavior.”
<img decoding="async" alt="" class="lazyload w-100"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/consciousness_IIM_3_1a829e9a5b.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-07T12:50:24.677Z">

The introductory keynote address was given by Kamlesh Patel, known to many as Daaji, who
 gave a very inspiring masterclass on consciousness from the experiential approach of Yoga. He mentioned that Yoga
 helps us “to solve that problem which will solve all other problems,” and this statement reverberated through the
 thoughts of many of the participants during the conference. Daaji challenged the audience with the simple statement:
 “Steadiness and stillness of mind is a must for a leader. How to arrive at this state? Master your mind and allow it
 to work on your terms.” He then went on to ask, “How to swiftly move from one level of consciousness to another
 level of consciousness at will – not just by desiring, but at will – and make it more productive in our day-to-day
 life?” He then went on to share his experience of how this can be done. It was a comprehensive exposé of how to work
 with consciousness through meditative processes.
Dr. Rosalind Pearmain, from the UK, described her experience as “a palpable taste of a
 new future emerging. Speakers presented expertise and discerning reflection from the disciplines and practice of
 science, spirituality, management, psychology and sustainability. Most powerful was the sense of harmony and heart
 that permeated the whole event. This is the aspect that still reverberates on for me and suggests a new field
 unfolding. Something more unified and dimensional is possible that can support us in our dire circumstances on this
 earth. It will keep resonating on in further connections and no doubt in a further event drawing many more into the
 gathering wave.”
<hr>
<h5 style="text-align: center;">Yoga helps us “to solve that problem 
 which will solve all other problems.”</h5>
<hr>
Enrico Amiotti, Executive Vice President for the Fondazione Enrica Amiotti in Milan,
 Italy, said, “This conference will be recorded as a milestone for the development of human consciousness, and will
 have unexpected ripple effects in the months and years to come. I think that each of us will find more insights as
 we go on in conversations with people we met and in reading and sharing the conference material. We INSEADers are
 already thinking to export it from Bangalore to Fontainebleau in France next year, to benefit the European audience.
 It may result in a ‘BangaBleau’ new school of conscious in global economics.”
Dr. Hester O Connor, a clinical psychologist and health service executive from Ireland,
 said, “These 3 days were a taste of the consciousness that we have been longing for, not only in the business world
 but globally. It is a taste of the consciousness of the beauty and simplicity of the heart. The task now is to
 enliven and share what we have received with others in the moment-to-moment connections as we go about our busy
 lives.”
Dr. Marilyn Cornelius of Alchemus Prime, Fiji, shared her observations: “This conference
 was of the highest caliber in terms of people, science, and discourse. It also demonstrated heart and soul in a way
 conferences rarely do. It affirmed my approach of using meditation as a practice of shifting consciousness to
 address individual challenges like stress as well as global challenges like climate change. From behavioral and
 spiritual viewpoints, all we can control are our actions, which collectively can achieve global harmony. This is the
 priceless hope and motivation we can leverage to keep working to actualize what I call personal and planetary
 wellness.”
<img decoding="async" alt="" class="lazyload w-100"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/consciousness_IIM_4_ea60e5ecd0.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-07T12:51:56.786Z">

Tushar Pradhan, Chief Investment Officer at HSBC Asset Management (India) Pvt. Ltd.,
 Mumbai, felt that “this attempt to cross pollinate the idea of expanded consciousness into all practical fields of
 human endeavor was truly remarkable. It is indeed undeniable that today’s challenges, be it the environment,
 business, or politics, are deeply influenced by human behavior. I truly believe that such thought leadership will
 permeate larger swathes of society and bring the true potential of the human existence to light leading to a better
 future for all on this planet.”
Stanislas Lajugie, from the Foreign Affairs Ministry, France, said that the conference
 “highlighted the urgency to change our individual and collective behaviors and systems in order to live in harmony.
 The urgency is for our own welfare, and more importantly for future generations. The conference also emphasized how
 to do it! Change can only happen if consciousness changes. The simple experience of heart-based meditation convinced
 many of us that a shift in consciousness is within the reach of one and all.”
<hr>
<h5 style="text-align: center;">It is a great platform to build on and hope 
 that we can improve on what was a unique disruption 
 to how management is taught. With conferences like this, 
 corporate life as we know it can shift!</h5>
<hr>
Mutsa Samuel, Founder of the UbuntuLab, from Zimbabwe, expressed that what he enjoyed
 about this conference was “the diversity of thought, approach and background of all the participants. … It is a
 great platform to build on and hope that we can improve on what was a unique disruption to how management is taught.
 With conferences like this, corporate life as we know it can shift!”
<img decoding="async" alt="" class="lazyload w-100"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/consciousness_IIM_5_fb425317b1.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-07T12:55:12.768Z">

<img decoding="async" alt="" class="lazyload w-100"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/consciousness_IIM_6_e3ee58d5c2.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-07T12:56:18.796Z">

Vasco Gaspar, Human Flourishing Facilitator from Portugal, had this to say: “My heart is
 full, my mind feels expanded and my body is energized and still resonates with all the inspiration I’ve received in
 this conference. I feel that we humans, as a species, need more spaces like this to learn from each other, to
 cross-pollinate our ideas, traditions and methodologies. My sincere wish is that this conference may grow, become
 even more inclusive to different areas of society and traditions, and expand to several places across the world,
 becoming a luminary for the human race to learn how can we all flourish together for the purpose of a Greater Good.”

The ripple effects are already palpable. One participant noted how refreshing it was
 that at no stage during the conference was there any argumentative tension with the varying points of view and
 perspectives. Everyone was inclusive in their approach in order to integrate ideas into a larger framework,
 embracing all.
Starting with Daaji’s thought-provoking address, the conference was able to take the
 elevation of consciousness much beyond the commonly-held ideals of goodness, values, compassion, emotional and
 social intelligence, into other dimensions of existence. This was supported through the meditation practices
 experienced by the participants every day.
<hr>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">Article by ELIZABETH DENLEY</h4>
<hr>

Consciousness in management

<h4>ELIZABETH DENLEY looks back on her childhood, which kindled an awareness and interest in cultural diversity. She offers some key learnings from those formative years that have helped her to embrace the possibility of humanity coming together in kinship, mutual love and respect.</h4><hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/meltingpot2_f2efc44327.jpg" alt=""><hr>Growing up in a steel town in Australia after the Second World War was a smorgasbord of multicultural diversity. My neighbors and school friends were from many parts of the world, including China, Lebanon, Italy, Greece, Croatia, Israel, Palestine, Russia, Germany, Poland, and the UK. By my teens that had expanded to Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and by my twenties to all countries of the world. Back then, Australia was known as the Lucky Country as there was work for everyone. That does not mean racism and prejudice were absent, especially for Indigenous Australians. As a melting pot it was still a work in progress, with a lot of teething problems that are still being resolved today.The Steelworks was a place for migrant workers, so over 50% the town’s population was composed of new arrivals, and wave after wave from other shores joined the workforce as I grew up. While the adults didn’t always get on, we children adapted to each other’s ways very quickly. We shared each other’s food at lunchtime, climbed the same trees, played softball and netball together, and laughed at jokes and common experiences. By the time I finished school, the first thing I did was travel to other continents to learn more about their richness of culture and history.Together we were creating a multicultural society, without realizing how the experience was also forming us. My first experience of pizza was from Stephan Gimpelli’s lunchbox in grade 3. My first experience of falafel and hummus was at a neighbor’s home, and the backyards of my school friends were filled with bok choy, olive and pomegranate trees, mangoes, and vineyards.Looking back, I now appreciate with gratitude this formative awakening. The diversity was rich, not only in food, but also in customs, language, religion, and culture.On top of that, we were thrown together because of the local ethos of doing things in teams. We had to get along: choirs and orchestras, drama, sports, and even academic work were all dependent on teamwork. Our culture didn’t encourage individuals to shine– we either all shone together or no one shone.Of course, there were many things not to like, to rebel against at the time, but looking back, those formative years gave us an openness to people of all cultures. I have since understood that this dynamic is characteristic of new societies, without much hierarchy and tradition. While it has its drawbacks, it is filled with opportunity and possibility.Recently, I met up with some of my old school friends, and it was a wonderful connection after so many years. I realized that we had shared experiences during a pivotal and formative time in our lives. We had flown in different directions after school – different places, different careers, different family experiences. But our shared story is still there, and we laughed and reminisced about times past in a way that awakened a great sense of belonging.&nbsp;What did that melting pot instill in me about diversity from an early age?<img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/meltingpot3_700x731_89eaeddb85.jpg" alt=""><hr>

The melting pot: 5 aspects of cultural diversity

<hr class="vertical-space1">
<h4>“What we do now
 echoes in eternity,” said Marcus Aurelius. The transition of the past few months has been stressful but also
 a time to remove obsolete habits, to rebuild our priorities, and to explore new paradigms. With this in
 mind, here PURNIMA RAMAKRISHNAN interviews DR. ELIZABETH DENLEY on our ability to adapt to changes during COVID
 times. Elizabeth holds a PhD in ecology as well as having spent over 30 years practicing Yoga and studying
 the yogic sciences. She sees the bridging of science and spirituality as the way of the
 future.</h4>
<hr class="vertical-space1">
Q: Welcome, Elizabeth, thank you for joining
 us on this webinar.
ED: Thank you, Purnima. It really is a pleasure to be here with
 you.
Q: The COVID-19 situation has affected our basic understanding and
 assumptions
 of how our society operates. Things like, “Can I go to a restaurant?” “Is it safe to get a haircut?”
 “Can I meet my friend?” These questions do not have the same answers they did six months ago. So, when
 humanity has endured this health crisis, what will the new normal be like? 
ED: You
 know, history helps us here. Human beings have been through many such crises. There was the 1918 Spanish
 flu, the bubonic plague, and many other pandemics that have affected humanity, causing us to reset and
 recalibrate the way we do things. Some people would say that such crises come only to force us to
 recalibrate, because we are not looking at ourselves well enough. Why is it that we need a crisis to push us
 to change? Certainly, COVID is a crisis that is forcing humanity to look at itself in many ways.
 
The little coronavirus has transformed our
 behavior. We are experiencing a period where people have the opportunity to reflect, to go within, to figure
 out what has worked, and what has not worked from the past. We have the opportunity to pause. And we have
 many very serious social, economic and cultural issues to reflect upon. 
One of the first things I learnt at
 university is that any species that destroys its environment will either go extinct or it will change. In
 genetics it’s called mutation; in behavioral sciences it’s called adaptation. 
<hr class="vertical-space1">
<img alt="Love Letter" class="lazyload has-img-center"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/love_letter3_51c163944c.jpg">
<hr class="vertical-space1">
In the ’80s, climatologists knew about the
 way our climate was being affected by human behavior. Governments knew, too. But we have all had our heads
 in the sand. We have been too focused on our own desires and wishes to have things the way we want them. So,
 we have long been headed on the path of destruction of our species, and in that sense, we can thank our
 COVID-19 friend. 
I’m not saying it’s easy; there is
 suffering, death, heartache, and hardship. And yet it’s forced us to stop. It’s forced planes to stop
 flying, cars to stop driving, and polluted cities have seen clear skies for the first time in
 decades.
This is a time of recalibration. It’s a time
 to ask, “What have we done well, what have we not done well, and what can we do to change?” One hundred
 years from now, people should look back at this time and say, “They really tried to fix this.” They
 shouldn’t look back and say, “They were blind, they did nothing, they didn’t take advantage of this
 opportunity given to them.” 
How can we take hold of our life so we don’t
 just become victims of circumstances, even when they are challenging? Surely COVID is a horrible situation,
 many people are suffering, and unfortunately those in poverty and lower economic situations are going to
 suffer more than those who are wealthy. The same is true with climate change. Nothing is good about it. Even
 still, how do we use this opportunity, because in fact we share each other’s destiny? We are not separate.
 We have to take each other along. How will we take humanity forward into a new era with a moral revolution
 so that we can bring about a change for the good of everybody, taking everyone along with us? 

<hr class="vertical-space1">


<hr>
<h5 style="text-align: center;">This is a time
 of recalibration. 
 It’s a time to ask, 
 “What have we done well, 
 what have we not done well, 
 and what can we do to change?” </h5>


<hr>
<hr class="vertical-space1">
Q: Thank you for sharing that perspective. It leads me to the next question
 about emotional exhaustion. I have read that the divorce rates have spiked in China, which is very
 unfortunate. How do we endure the emotional fatigue the current situation is presenting? Because what
 binds us together, what helps us build resilience and endurance, is our relationships with our loved
 ones. When those start to collapse, it is certainly unfortunate. What are your thoughts on this?
 
ED: One
 thing that is happening is isolation. Some of us are separated from loved ones. In my case, my adult kids
 are in Australia, and I’m here in India. I used to fly home to Australia to spend time with them, and come
 back to my work here in India. Now that’s all changed. I’m not lonely, because I’m with a lot of people in a
 community, although I miss them very much, but imagine those people who are in real isolation, who are very
 lonely, who don’t have their family members with them. That’s one side of the coin. 
The other is where families are thrown
 together 24/7. People are working from home, so many wives and mothers are looking after their kids, their
 kids’ schooling, their husbands, they’re having to do full time housework, and often they hold down a job as
 well. People are thrown together 24/7 in a tight environment, which they are not used to. They are used to
 going out to work, going out to school, and often not seeing each other for much of the day. 

<img alt="a-love-letter-to-the-future-part-1" class="lazyload img-float-left has-img-center-in-mobile"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/love_letter2_617eef6402.jpg">
Before COVID, many people would come home
 from work at 9 or 10 in the night, eat dinner, maybe watch television, go to bed, get up, and go to work in
 the morning. How can you have a relationship with that sort of lifestyle? It’s coexistence without
 relationship. Certainly, emotional intelligence and emotional maturity cannot develop in such a
 relationship. And suddenly now, everyone is thrown together. Husbands and wives, teenage kids who are used
 to going out doing things behind their parents’ backs, and now suddenly they are stuck at home. Suddenly,
 they’re in a pressure cooker environment. 
The fact that there are more divorces,
 stresses and irritation in relationships is just a sign of lack of resilience, a lack of emotional
 intelligence. It’s a far cry from the olden days of extended families, when people lived on top of each
 other all the time. I’m not saying they were more mature back then, but they had to be more resilient, more
 tolerant, more accepting, more loving towards each other, because there was no choice economically.
 
Today, many of us live in nuclear families
 rather than extended families, because we have the economic means to do so. Family members live on different
 continents. We are not used to intense relationships. And now, we are thrown together and it’s causing
 tension. The skills that develop emotional intelligence have been well documented by Daniel Goleman.
 Meditation is the main skill. The ability to regulate the mind, develop self-awareness, self-acceptance,
 self-compassion, communication skills, the ability to relate to other people, have empathy, listen – all
 these skills come from heart-based meditation practice. So, the tools are there, and they are easily
 available. These skills teach us to handle such situations. 
<img alt="a-love-letter-to-the-future-part-1" class="lazyload img-float-right has-img-center-in-mobile"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/love_letter4_a9bb8acaa2.jpg">For example,
 let’s take anger. When you’re
 really angry with a parent or a spouse, if you can’t regulate your mind and heart, your emotional, inner
 environment, then what are you going to do? You’re going to shout, and project things onto the other person,
 blame the other person – all very immature behavior. Whereas, when you regulate your mind and heart, when
 you have pure consciousness, you may still get angry – anger is a great tool for development – but there is
 no aggression or conflict with the other person. You can pause, let yourself settle down, clean up the
 emotional charge from your system and deal with things in a different way. Communication becomes effective.
 This is a simple life skill that is born out of meditation. I think that’s the key – to learn how to handle
 the situation better. 
Q: That makes sense. One of our listeners
 says she wants to do something meaningful and feel good about it. In spite of the physical isolation, we are
 in a really noisy virtual world. So, the mind is always busy and in constant turmoil. In the middle of that,
 how to do something useful? But before that, how to restore inner balance so as to go ahead and serve. What
 are your thoughts on this?
ED:
 Well, when you don’t have a good instrument to work with, if you’re not an effective human being,
 it’s more difficult to help other people. Can you imagine being a nurse in a busy COVID hospital at the
 moment, if your mind and heart are in turmoil? You would suffer incredible compassion fatigue, burnout and
 stress. There are a lot of medical professionals going through this because it is very tough to be on the
 frontline. 
All of us take our hats off and applaud the
 people on the frontline in the midst of this crisis: medical professionals, hospital staff, transport
 people, ambulance guys, the people delivering food to migrant workers, are all doing the most incredible
 basic service for others. It’s our moral imperative to help each other. 
There are many ways to help. I am not a
 doctor but I can pack food parcels, deliver things to elderly people, go to the shops for them. And I can
 also pray, which is something that I know is often denigrated in our secular world, because it’s not
 understood well.
<hr class="vertical-space1">
<img alt="a-love-letter-to-the-future-part-1" class="lazyload has-img-center"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/love_letter5_d2437448d6.jpg">
<hr class="vertical-space1">


<hr>
<h5 style="text-align: center;">When you wake
 up in the morning, ask yourself: 
 “What is my intention for the day? 
 What can I give today?” 
 Even better, get to a state 
 where you don’t even need to think about it, 
 where your nature is love and giving. 
 Even if it starts mechanically, start somewhere. </h5>


<hr>
<hr class="vertical-space1">
Prayer is often seen as begging, demanding
 something from God. That’s a very narrow view of prayer. We don’t demand anything in prayer. Yes, there can
 be a request. Yes, there can be a heartfelt plea. And imagine if all of us, every day, were offering a
 heartfelt plea for the well-being of all humanity in this current crisis, for those who are suffering for
 their suffering to be eased. Imagine if every single human being on the planet does this every day. It will
 make such an incredible difference. The world will change, humanity will change, when we all give more than
 we receive. 
So when you wake up in the morning, ask
 yourself: “What is my intention for the day? What can I give today?” Even better, get to a state where you
 don’t even need to think about it, where your nature is love and giving. Even if it starts mechanically,
 start somewhere.
<hr class="vertical-space1">
<img alt="Love Letter" class="lazyload has-img-center"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/love_letter6_67ad84ad98.jpg">
<hr class="vertical-space1">
Everyone has something to give. It could be
 a small child giving a little flower. It can hold such love. If you see an elderly person trying to cross
 the street, walk with them, help them, and it will make their day. Say something kind to another person to
 make them feel good about themselves; how will it change their day? Instead of grumbling at somebody in
 traffic, smile at that person instead. It’s the little things that change everything. 
To be
 continued.
To listen to the
 original <a
 href="https://heartfulness.org/webinar/glow-webinar-archive/adaptability-to-new-changes/">interview</a>.

<hr class="vertical-space1">


<hr>
<h4 style="text-align: center;"> Interview by PURNIMA
 RAMAKRISHNAN</h4>


<hr>

A love letter to the future - part 1

<hr><h3 style="text-align:center;">future thinking – the new human era</h3><hr><h4>MEGHANA ANAND and ELIZABETH DENLEY look at what we can learn from our ancients and ask question about what the future holds for the human race.</h4><hr>That time flies is an understatement. Just to make it more interesting, how about trying some time travel? Do we hear you asking how? Well thought can travel through time in no time. Think of an incident that happened a week ago and you are there. So now, close your eyes and imagine the year 2050. What do you see? Move further forward in time to 3900 AD. How does life on Earth appear in the 40th century? Are you able to conceive of anything? Perhaps, moving back in time will help.Coming back to the present moment, now move into the past. How far can you trace back human life on Earth? It seems easier to imagine the human race of the past than to conceive of an unknown future, isn’t it? Well, maybe the key to our future lies in tracing our ancients.The study of the origins of the human race is quite fascinating. Most of our present understanding about this subject is based on various theories of evolution and the study of ancient civilizations. The other important field of research that holds answers to our origins is genetics. Today, genetics and epigenetics are drawing the attention of both material scientists and spiritual scientists alike: the study of our human DNA.Most theories of evolution endorse the process of natural selection, which is based on changes at the genetic level known as mutation. The physical and behavioral changes in any species have long been attributed to changes in the structure of their DNA. According to Briana Pobiner, an anthropologist who specializes in the study of human origins at the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History, “Mutations are basically the raw material on which evolution acts.”But does everything really happen from the physical level? The more recent findings of epigenetics give us an insight, a doorway into the process that leads to genetic mutation, and that process does not start at the physical level so often as at the level of our subtle bodies. Epigeneticists have shown that environment, including the thoughts, feelings and behaviors of parents and everyone else in the surrounding environment affect our genetic make up How? Take, for example, the development of a fetus. Environmental factors lead to significant physiological changes, as is documented by Dr Bruce Lipton in his book, The Biology of Belief. So we have a fixed pattern of genetics and an overlaying flexible pattern of epigenetics. And it is this flexible pattern that provides a mechanism for our subtle bodies to eventually influence the genetics of our physical body. Mutations are not in fact random events; our future genetic destiny is strongly affected by our thoughts and feelings.&nbsp;<hr><h5 style="text-align:center;">Mutations are not in fact random events; our future genetic destiny is strongly affected&nbsp; by our thoughts and feelings.</h5>&nbsp;<hr>Then add to this the findings of research in the fields of metaphysics, quantum science and broader genetics, for example the work done by Russian geneticists on the spectrum of DNA found in the human body known as ‘junk’ DNA. These are even more intriguing. What if human DNA was originally made up of 12 strands instead of the 2 that exist today? Our ancestors may have been giants, not only physically but also in terms of awakened consciousness. There is a school of thought that says they walked the planet in realization and awareness of their light and origin during a time period that existed well before the ancient civilizations of India, Mesopotamia and Egypt.These possible 12 helixes of original DNA have also been associated with 12 chakras of yogic science. The three lower chakras – mooladhar, mooladhar, swadhisthan and manipur – are active in the animal kingdom, but human beings have the possibility of awakening and developing the higher chakras from the heart upwards.According to Ram Chandra of Shahjahanpur, above the three lower chakras are 13 more – 5 associated with the heart chakra, and 8 more associated with the cosmic planes and beyond. The awakening of this final 13th higher chakra is the ultimate to which a human being can evolve in terms of consciousness. In other words, it is the pinnacle of human evolution as we know it. The awakening of all the 13 higher chakras is possible in today’s era through Heartfulness Meditation, with the support of Yogic Transmission.We also know that certain types of meditation have a positive physiological effect on our genetics by supporting the healthy maintenance of the telomeres that cap our chromosomes, and on our epigenetics by alleviating stress and bringing stillness and centeredness. Maybe our doublestranded. DNA will eventually evolve into something more like that of our ancestors, or maybe it will simplify into something completely new. So what are we doing about this? What is our vision for our future humanity? Epigenetics show us that our collective consciousness will influence the result.After all that time travel, when we return to the present, what is it that we can do? For, as the wise often assert, the past is history, the future a mystery, but the ‘present’, the here and now, is a gift.Openness is perhaps the answer. While talk of the past, the future, theories of evolution and ancestral beings from other worlds may leave us feeling overwhelmed, openness in the present moment fills us with stability and a sense of purpose. When we act in the present, with an open, balanced state of mind, we create a solid foundation for the future.&nbsp;<hr><h5 style="text-align:center;">When we act in the present, with an open, balanced state of mind, we create a solid foundation for the future.</h5>&nbsp;<hr>Meditation on the heart, our center, creates that balance within. It opens our consciousness to dimensions of existence and perceptions that go beyond the five senses. Then that inner condition also radiates into everything we do. The possibilities are infinite. How open are you?Referenceshttp://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1749-6632.2009.04414.x/abstract;jsessionid=0856A77591220C726DA26FF942285ED9.f04t01https://www.heartfulnessmagazine.com/the-march-tofreedom/https://www.livescience.com/474-controversyevolution-works.htmlRam Chandra of Shahjahanpur, 1963. Towards Infinity, 1st Edition, Shri Ram Chandra Mission, India.Lipton, BH, 2008. The Biology of Belief: Unleashing the Power of Consciousness, Matter &amp; Miracles, Hay House, USA.<hr>&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Article by MEGHANA ANAND and ELIZABETH DENLEY</h4>&nbsp;<hr>

How open are you?

<h4 id="h-elizabeth-denley-shares-a-few-simple-life-style-tips-to-improve-overall-health-and-well-being">
 ELIZABETH DENLEY
 shares a few simple life style tips to improve overall health and
 well-being.
</h4>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<div class="block-image">
 <figure>
 <img decoding="async" alt="nature-heal-you-info1" width="700" height="371" class="has-img-center lazyload"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/nature_heal_you_info1_b3f68214a7.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T12:40:32.330Z" />
 </figure>
</div>

<div class="block-image">
 <figure>
 <img decoding="async" width="700" height="417" alt="nature-heal-you-info2" class="has-img-center lazyload"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/nature_heal_you_info2_a4bd3e808e.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T12:41:27.862Z" />
 </figure>
</div>

<div class="block-image">
 <figure>
 <img decoding="async" width="700" height="721" alt="nature-heal-you-info3" class="has-img-center lazyload"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/nature_heal_you_info3_f3cbe7f93b.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T12:42:16.462Z" />
 </figure>
</div>

<div class="block-image">
 <figure>
 <img decoding="async" width="700" height="616" alt="nature-heal-you-info4" class="has-img-center lazyload"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/nature_heal_you_info4_0ef8d1222a.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T12:43:17.172Z" />
 </figure>
</div>

<div class="block-image">
 <figure>
 <img decoding="async" width="700" height="675" alt="nature-heal-you-info5" class="has-img-center lazyload"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/nature_heal_you_info5_04bae9df85.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T12:44:07.795Z" />
 </figure>
</div>

<hr />

<h4 class="has-text-align-center">Illustrations by LAKSHMI GADDAM</h4>

<hr />

Let nature heal you

<h4>
 ELIZABETH DENLEY is an ecologist, who has spent
 most of her life learning from the natural world. Here she explores cooperation in Nature, and what we can learn
 from this very common behavior, if we are to continue to survive on planet Earth.
</h4>



<hr class="vertical-space1">



Up until the second half of the 20th century, many scientists thought that the relationships between
 species in the natural world were conflictual. They assumed that plants and animals either competed for resources or
 ate each other. The world was painted as an aggressive place, “red in tooth and claw.” That all changed around 60
 years ago, when naturalists and ecologists started to notice just how many species cooperate and collaborate.



This shift in worldview also coincided with a shift away from colonialism and toward a more collaborative vision for
 human societies. We are still in a transition phase, as the older structures and belief systems have not fully
 disappeared. I find it very helpful to explore friendship and cooperation in Nature, to see if we can learn a thing
 or two about how it operates at a very fundamental evolutionary level.



It turns out that we had a very narrow understanding of the Darwinian concept of “the evolution of the fittest.”
 “Fittest” doesn’t have to mean competitive advantage over others, climbing the ladder of success. That is a very
 outdated notion. “Fittest” can be the most effective collaborators, those who create a robust interdependent web of
 existence.



Naturalists use the word “symbiosis” to describe the relationships between species in eco systems, and the most
 common types of symbiosis are:



Mutualism&nbsp;– a mutually beneficial relationship.&nbsp; Commensalism&nbsp;– a
 relationship where one species benefits while the other is not harmed. Parasitism&nbsp;– a
 relationship where one species lives on or in a host species, usually causing harm to the
 host. Competition&nbsp;–a relationship where species compete for resources. Predation
 and herbivory&nbsp;–a relationship where one species eats another.&nbsp;



Mutualism and commensalism are what we would consider to be the “cooperative” relationships, as they bring benefit
 and cause no harm. Parasitism, competition, predation, and herbivory are the regulatory relationships, as they limit
 or reduce populations of species. Yet all these relationships are essential for creating balance and harmony in
 Nature. None are “good” or “bad” in the way we may try to judge them.



Examples of cooperation in Nature



To understand cooperation in Nature, let’s explore mutualism and commensalism. Coral reefs are a great place to
 start, with the very sweet relationship between sea anemones and clownfish. Anemone and clown fish live together.
 Normally, the anemone tentacles give off a nasty sting, but the clownfish&nbsp;have evolved a substance that
 protects them from the sting of&nbsp;the tentacles, so that they can hide amongst them, safe from predators. The
 anemones shelter and protect the clownfish, and the clownfish clean the anemones, provide them with nutrients, and
 scare off predatory butterfly fish. This cooperation helps both the fish and the anemones survive and thrive.



If we turn to dense tropical forests, we find beautiful flowering orchids, which are epiphytes living on the trunks
 and branches of trees. Orchids rely on the trees for sunlight, and for the water and nutrients that flow on the
 outer bark of the branches. Orchids are not large plants, they photosynthesize themselves, and they don’t harm the
 host trees in any way. Science tells us that the host plants don’t benefit from the orchards living on them, but it
 would be interesting to know if there are more subtle interactions that affect the consciousness of the orchids and
 the trees.&nbsp;We know so little about the relationships among other living beings.



<hr class="vertical-space1">




<figure><img decoding="async" width="700" height="735" alt="" class="lazyload has-img-center"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/cooperation_nature2_700x735_07b0de1c78.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-12T05:48:29.405Z">
</figure>



<hr class="vertical-space1">



Another cooperative relationship is found between egrets and grazing mammals like cows, buffalos, zebras, horses,
 rhinoceroses and elephants. The egrets are birds that coexist with their four-legged friends, sometimes riding on
 their backs. The birds feed on ticks and other ectoparasites on the skin of the mammals, reducing pests, and they
 also feed on the insects that are stirred up by the mammals when they are feeding. So both the mammals and the birds
 benefit from this partnership.



Closer to home, we humans have a cooperative relationship with microorganisms, especially the bacteria on our skin
 and in our digestive tract. The bacteria in our gut help us digest food and regulate the intestinal environment. In
 return, they feed off the food we eat.



There are also many stories throughout history of dolphins helping people, and in some times developing ongoing
 relationships. Wild dolphins are known to fish with local fisherman in places as far apart as Brazil, Mauretania,
 and Myanmar. There are also incredible stories of dolphins saving people’s lives, for example a group of four
 swimmers in New Zealand were saved from a great white shark by a pod of dolphins who swam in circles around them for
 40 minutes until the shark lost interest, and the group could swim back to shore.



What can we learn?



For a start, these examples are just the tip of the iceberg – a few textbook examples that help us glimpse dimensions
 of interconnection we don’t yet understand. No species has evolved on its own; they have all evolved in the context
 of the ecosystems in which they live, and in relationship to the other species they live with.



<hr class="vertical-space1">




<figure><img decoding="async" width="700" height="558" alt="" class="lazyload has-img-center"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/cooperation_nature3_700x558_daea9edc07.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-12T05:50:40.409Z">
</figure>




<hr class="vertical-space1">



<hr>



<h4 class="has-text-align-center">No species has evolved on its
 own; they have all evolved in the context of the ecosystems in which they live, and in relationship
 to the other species they live with. </h4>



<hr>



<hr class="vertical-space1">



If we humans are to become responsible citizens of planet Earth, we will have to become more attuned to the eco
 systems in which we live, and to the other species that coexist with us. What we see today is a result of us not
 doing that, of assuming that we are separate from Nature; worse, above Nature.



Just as colonial empires in the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries invaded countries and
 imposed their decisions on the local people and places they colonized, so we continue to invade ecosystems we
 presume to own, and make decisions about what trees to cut down, what to plant, what animals to kill, and what
 minerals and underground water to dig up for our own use. We play with the life on this planet as if we own it. What
 sort of human evolution can we expect if we continue to take that route? Will it be in tune with Nature? And what
 can we do differently, like other plants and animals do, to cooperate and evolve within our ecosystems and with our
 fellow beings? It is a field open for discovery, one which may just help us to take the next step.



<hr class="vertical-space1">



<hr>



<h4 class="has-text-align-center">Illustrations by ARATI SHEDDE
</h4>



<hr>

Cooperation in nature

<h4>ELIZABETH DENLEY is currently living in the Central Highlands of Victoria in Australia, surrounded by natural forest. Why is this experience of living so close to Nature worth sharing? It has reawakened a more natural wild intelligence in her, the wild intelligence she remembers from childhood, which offers solutions to the current crises humanity faces.</h4><hr>The stillness of the predawn is mystical. Stars start to fade as colors gently emerge, the dawn erupting into a genesis of gratitude. Tangerine peeps through the eastern canopy, kookaburras light the world with their laughter, and the various levels of awakening find their counterpoint.It rained during the night, so eucalypt fragrance is heady in the cold air. The majestic stringy bark gums sing their morning serenade, with their many shades of grey, green, honey, apricot, and new reddish leaves high above. These sentinels are home to a myriad of insects, birds and mammals in a vertical ecosystem that connects Cosmos and Earth.Outside the back window of the cottage, a gray kangaroo leans against a big old tree stump scratching his shoulder, his comical movements bringing the first smile of the morning. The stump he leans against is alive, despite being all that’s left of a grandmother tree that fell many months ago during a massive storm. She continues to be fed and cared for by her surrounding siblings and offspring.The consciousness of trees is so evident here. They move with the sun and respond to the weather, to music, to human emotions. They create beautiful atmospheres, just as they did for our ancestors when sacred groves were our first temples, celebrating the joy of nature. The biologist David Haskell expresses it well: “To listen to trees, nature’s great connectors, is to learn how to inhabit the relationships that give life its source, substance, and beauty.”<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/wild_intelligence2_15c71d4fd7.jpg" alt="wild-intelligence">&nbsp;<hr>The swamp wallabies in the orchard turn as the cottage door opens, their velvety ears up and twitching. Six tiny ducklings and their parents waddle and chat near the vegetable garden, arriving early to hang around for the daily avian restaurant to start. After the chickens are fed, the wild ducks take their turn, then currawongs and magpies, crimson rosellas, and later in the day the local gang of choughs and the many small birds that clean up the final remains of breakfast. Sometimes the sulphur-crested cockatoos bring cacophony with their larrikin antics.The damp grassy earth molds to the soles of my feet like well-worn shoes as I venture out, the sounds, colors, smells, tastes, and feelings familiar and grounding. As a teenager, I travelled the world, searching for life’s treasure. As an adult, I have lived a nomadic existence across several continents while raising a family and working. As a mystic, I have travelled beyond the physical plane into realms where place is in consequential. And now the spiral of life has brought me back to this country, a dear old friend, alive and welcoming. The earth, water, plants, animals, stars, people and vibrations are woven into the intimacy of kinship. The flow of connection pulsates at all levels.The trees were my healers when I was a small child. Reaching for that same healing, my breath tunes to the heartbeat of the majestic sentinels that ring the orchard, and my footsteps sync to their rhythm. Further down the hill there is a natural grove, so I sit on the leaf litter against a middle-sized trunk. The width is just right – not too wide, not too narrow – so that the energy gushing up through the roots and trunk into my back is the correct dose. The gentle embrace binds like the gravity that binds planets and stars, a soft force, a connecting force, a motherly force.Space and stillness are an antidote to endless activity. There is time to notice things. The photons awaken to their morning dance as the sun warms the clear sky to blue. They have <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/navigating-corporate-politics-with-inner-stability-and-strategic-awareness" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">natural intelligence</a>, wild intelligence. So do the trees. So does the Earth. So do we. As children we used it without thinking, sensing changes in the weather and wild life before they happened. As ants announced the rain and birds announced predators, we readily joined the conversation. This forest retreat is an opportunity to rekindle that naturalness.The noise of a kookaburra alighting on the nearby fence wire draws my attention. His eyes are fixated on something below, but it is the fence line that triggers thoughts about the crazy notions surrounding our ownership of land. Ownership entitles us to do whatever we want, not only with the land itself, but also with the living creatures and resources existing on it. In a world view of kinship, ownership of anything living – including rivers, plants, animals and the Earth – is slavery.Trees welcome us, water welcomes us, country welcomes us, giving and giving. We depend upon them for our very existence, yet we continue to pollute and rape them. I am not against human progress, as long as we are not greedy, possessive, or dominating. As small children we were in love and wonder with the world. Sitting here, that love and wonder is rekindled.The family in the main homestead is stirring, and the radio news echoes across the valley. COP27 is happening in Egypt, the Russian-Ukraine war has taken another turn, the Yemeni war enters its eighth year with refugees continuing to flee for their lives, floods wash away whole communities in Australia, and we are stunned by the death of Perth schoolboy Cassius Turvey in a racially-fueled murder. Humans can be brutal as well as sublime.Familiar structures and traditions are falling apart, and we swing between hope and despair within the space of a single day with tales of loneliness, anxiety, depression, addiction, social injustice, prejudice, fake news, polarization, environmental destruction, climate change, and more Covid. The sheer mythological scale of our crisis demands optimism, a window of opportunity to do something extraordinary. A sense of potential, a paradigm shift, as chaos is reined in with new vision and energy.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/wild_intelligence3_fefd8ad628.jpg" alt="wild-intelligence">&nbsp;<hr><hr><h4>The gentle embrace binds like the gravity that binds planets and stars,&nbsp; a soft force, a connecting force, a motherly force.</h4><hr><hr>It is a story repeated through out human history. Physicists know the story of entropy all too well – the gradual unravelling leading to collapse and disintegration – and the same laws apply to us. Then, out of the bones and ashes something new emerges, the phoenix rising.Evolution is built upon long periods of imperceptible change punctuated by sudden quantum leaps of rapid change. We are quantum leaping, so our thinking is shifting. Change starts on the periphery, meeting resistance at first, gaining momentum slowly until it moves mainstream. Disciplines converge. The twentieth century paved the way, with an explosion of science and technology, the contemplative traditions, psychology, the arts, sociology, philosophy, the civil rights movements, the peace movements, the feminist movements, the social and environmental movements, all shifting our awareness. Each contributed, each is a part of the quantum leap from human-centric to inclusiveness.In the 1930s, the anthropologist Robert Redfield proposed three human worldviews – Indigenous, Eastern, and Western. Each has its own value. After Redfield came other anthropologists who compared those worldviews. Now is the time to integrate them so new solutions emerge. I want to share a personal example of this. I first listened to the poem “Kulila” by Indigenous poet Ali Cobby Eckermann a couple of years back, and it touched me deeply. But at first I could not accept that she asks for every little story to be retold over and over – of past massacres, traumas, and sufferings. It made me uncomfortable because I believed retelling would recreate trauma. But then I listened to her poem again and felt the vibrations in my cells and psyche. Another dimension of storytelling emerged.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/wild_intelligence4_b028a06322.jpg" alt="wild-intelligence">&nbsp;<hr><hr><h4>Evolution is built upon long periods of imperceptible change&nbsp; punctuated by sudden quantum leaps of rapid change.&nbsp; We are quantum leaping, so our thinking is shifting.</h4><hr><hr>It reminded me of a lifechanging experience forty years earlier, at the Shalako Ceremony in New Mexico. Every year at the winter solstice, the Zuni people come together to tell and enact their history from the beginning of time to the present moment. The shamans chant through the night, and everyone in the pueblo is present, from elders to newborns, some enacting the drama of the various characters in costume, others listening, witnessing. Everything is voiced, everything is integrated. Remembering is a moral imperative to move out of the shadows into the light. Kulila shone light on that awareness.We have a lot to learn from each other. All three world views agree that change starts with awareness, and all three offer practices to expand awareness. But awareness alone is not enough. After awareness comes response – listening to each other, integrating, so the periphery can move into the mainstream. Only then will we be able to move beyond human-centricity. It was such a leap for humans to transition from an Earth-centric solar system to a Sun-centric solar system. Now it is time to transition from human-centric to inclusive.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/wild_intelligence5_8836495a82.jpg" alt="wild-intelligence">&nbsp;<hr><hr><h4>After awareness comes response – listening to each other, integrating,&nbsp; so the periphery can move into the mainstream.&nbsp; Only then will we be able to move beyond human-centricity.</h4><hr><hr>Our current crises are no surprise. We ignored the universal laws that affect our personal lives, our communities, the solar system, the universe itself, and the minutest particles that make up atoms. We are all made up of matter, energy and space. The outward and inward flows of energy exist in our breathing, in the tides, and in the day’s rhythms. The outward-flowing current started with the Big Bang and continues to expand into space. It brings diversity, entropy, action, complexity and restlessness. The inward-flowing current takes us back to the center of time and space, to stability. It is gravitational and connects everything in stillness, simplicity and peace. Each moment in time is a dance between these two currents, and both are needed for balance.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/wild_intelligence6_e008f86fe5.jpg" alt="wild-intelligence">&nbsp;<hr>Sometimes the direction shifts dramatically, like the turning of a huge spring tide. Life takes a turn. It is not a conscious choice but an evolutionary imperative. It happens to us. Right now, we are in the middle of a global collective inward shift. Initially the changes may be hidden in gestation, but then they manifest on the periphery, and then they move into the mainstream. The rise of <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/the-power-of-silence" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">spiritual awareness</a>, sustainable technologies, climate activism, kindness projects, and restorative justice movements are indications of this shift.When we shine a light on our stories, even when they are tragic, the heart begins to accept. In that alchemy is the freedom of new possibilities and shifting worldviews. Many things cannot be fixed or brought back – cultures, languages, music, art, wisdom, plants, animals, ecosystems, and innocence – yet the tide is turning and flowing in a new direction.The wheels of change turn slowly, because we cling to old pre-programmed habits and prejudices, even when they are no longer useful. And the clinging is stronger when we are stressed and anxious. Nowadays we accept stress as normal, the signature of our modern urban lifestyle. Try asking everyone in your family to put their mobile phones away for a week and you will discover how addicted we are to stress. Scientists call it the amygdala hijack, and in that hijacked state we defend our own interests and reinforce our ideals. We cling to our limited world view because the prefrontal cortex of the brain can’t function well. We stop thinking wisely. We don’t know how to slow down.Sitting here, the stringy barks are telling me the same thing: slow down to think, slow down to be healthy and happy, slow down to love, slow down to awaken wild intelligence.<hr><hr><h4>Sitting here, the stringy barks are telling me the same thing:&nbsp; slow down to think, slow down to be healthy and happy,&nbsp; slow down to love, slow down to awaken wild intelligence.</h4><hr><hr><hr><h4>Illustrations by ANANYA PATEL</h4><hr><hr>

Wild  intelligence

<h4>ELIZABETH DENLEY shares some insights on reducing wants, cutting costs, and in the process living more sustainably on the planet. Even if you choose one tip and do it for a month, you will make a difference!</h4>For most of us, the cost of living is going up month by month, and it is not matched by an increase in our incomes. We are being squeezed, and while that is challenging, it is also forcing us to live more creatively and more sustainably on less! We can no longer justify the consumerist throw-away culture, even though all the advertising we see thrives on selling us the latest and most trendy goods. Our current economy is built that way, and it will take a bigger shift in consciousness to transition to a truly sustainable and regenerative way of living.When I first started meditating, over three decades ago, one principle that jumped out of the Heartfulness literature was, “Do not purchase a new thing if you can manage to carry on with your old belongings.” I soon learned that it is a fundamental principle of yoga – reduce your wants.Since then, I have personally experienced one of the great side benefits of meditating – meditation reduces your wants.&nbsp;How? Let’s wind back a step.<figure class="image image-style-align-center"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/consumer_challenge2_312af147a9.jpg"></figure><hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">“Do not purchase a new thing if you can&nbsp; manage to carry on with your old belongings.”</h4><hr>Why do we want things?&nbsp;Wants play into our need to belong. If all your friends ride bicycles, you will want a bicycle. If your neighbors all wear a certain brand of jeans, or cook with a brand of rice cooker, you will be tempted to buy that brand. If someone says something is good, it is natural to be curious about it. We are social learners, and that has many survival benefits. But it also leaves us open to suggestion from advertisers, and sees us succumbing to peer pressure, and that is not so healthy.Wants also play into our wish to feel happy and avoid pain – our likes and dislikes. Likes and dislikes drive so many of our choices, even leading to addiction and other avoidance behaviors when we are struggling. The media tells us to be happy, healthy, successful, beautiful, intelligent, and the list goes on. What happens when we fail, when we are sad, lonely, ill, or when we don’t feel beautiful? We don’t like those painful feelings, so we try to avoid them and fill our lives with external distractions and pleasures. The truth is that the world we live in is full of dualities – with health comes illness, with pleasure comes pain, with happiness comes sadness, with good comes bad. It’s unavoidable. So best is to face life as it is and come up with simple solutions to reduce wants and wishes.Here are a few that have served me well:<h4>Inner tips</h4>It is how we respond to the ups and downs that determines how well we navigate life, and that’s where Heartfulness helps.&nbsp;<ul><li>In Heartfulness Meditation, we learn to dive deeper into the center of our being, where the ups and downs don’t affect us; like the eye of a tornado, it’s perfectly still.</li><li>In the Heartfulness Cleaning, we remove the complexities and heaviness in our system, so we don’t hold emotional entanglements and sources of angst. Each new day is a fresh start where we feel content within ourselves, with fewer wants.&nbsp;</li><li>In the Heartfulness Prayer, we build our resilience and self-mastery, so that our inner life is stable and not so easily swayed by outside pulls and pushes.&nbsp;</li><li>These three simple daily practices provide a natural antidote to the lure of wants.</li></ul><h4>Outer tips</h4><ul><li>Take the contentment challenge! Don’t buy any non-essential items for a month.&nbsp;</li><li>Make a list of what you are grateful for every week, and let it replace your list of wants.&nbsp;</li><li>When shopping for food, take your own shopping bags, stick to a prepared list, buy in season, eat vegetarian, ditch the takeaway, and buy generic rather than branded.</li><li>Slow-cooked meals like casseroles, stews, and soups are economical, and can be stored easily in the fridge and freezer. They also use up whatever vegetables you have at home.&nbsp;</li><li>Share food with neighbors, friends, and extended family. A good potluck meal is usually fun and very cost effective. Or prevent food spoilage by getting together and preserving foods, e.g., pickles, sauerkraut, passata, stewed fruits, and dried herbs.</li><li>Grow some of your own food, even if it is as simple as herbs on your kitchen windowsill. Let your children plant the seeds and take care of the plants as they grow, and they will also learn some valuable skills.</li><li>Learn from your grandparents. What did they do during tough times to exist with less?</li><li>Declutter – eliminate unnecessary things from your life!</li></ul><hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">The world we live in is full of dualities –&nbsp; with health comes illness, with pleasure comes pain,&nbsp; with happiness comes sadness,&nbsp;with good comes bad.&nbsp; It’s unavoidable. So best is to face life as it is and come up&nbsp; with simple solutions to reduce wants and wishes.</h4><hr><figure class="image image-style-align-center"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/consumer_challenge3_0fd7359a1b.jpg"></figure><hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Illustrations by ANANYA PATEL</h4><hr>&nbsp;

Take the consumer challenge

<h3 style="text-align:center;">MIRROR GAME</h3>&nbsp;<hr>&nbsp;Do you know what defines a young person? It is not their age but their ability to wonder.This game can be played even if you are only two at home and with many more people too.While having a great deal of fun, this game will teach you something deep that is worth developing: it will help you understand other people better, and develop your alertness and sensitivity to others.It’s like a mime, but its more fun because it is in pairs and we laugh better when we are two. Before you start, get into pairs. One will be the ‘Real’ one and the other one the ‘Mirror’.<img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/lets_play_i_am_you1_img_05ac959af6.jpg?updated_at=2023-03-31T10:59:25.426Z" alt="lets-play-i-am-you">Find some happy music, not too fast, so that you can move easily to it.Stand facing each other in your pairs, hands open and up. Do not touch hands.Start the music. Ask the ‘Real’ to move to the music, while the friend being the ‘Mirror’ imitates the ‘Real’.Both should be attentive so that the movements are easy to follow and totally in sync.Keep enough space between you in your pairs so as not to touch while moving.After a few minutes, ask all the ‘Mirrors’ to swap and become the ‘Reals’ and vice versa.When you were the ‘Mirror’, how did you know what to do next?When you were the ‘Real’, how did you help your partner to follow you?Start again with some other music. Watch how you start knowing how to lead and to follow each other&nbsp;better and better. It is like magnets!<h4>Variations:</h4>When the music changes, change roles and change partners.You can also try doing the mirror game with your eyes closed and your hands touching to take it to the next level. You will have to ‘feel’ the movements of the other one and let it flow.Add some fun: dress up or paint your face and hands with matching colours and designs, like in a mirror.

Let’s play "I am you"!

<h4 style="text-align:justify;">ELIZABETH DENLEY explores the idea of back to basics, and in the process offers some simple ways to support the fundamental rights of everyone on planet Earth.</h4>This January, “back to basics” has been at the forefront of my mind. We generally start each year with resolutions, hoping to change our habits and our circumstances. But this year has not started well, with the ravages of war, many displaced people around the world, families suffering without food, shelter, or safe places to live, and the climate crisis threatening communities on every continent.&nbsp;With such uncertainty, the standard approach of self-reflection, followed by choosing personal goals, intention-setting, and creating new habits feels like a luxury; while “back to basics” is about many people needing to have their basic needs met.For those of us lucky enough to live with safety, adequate food, clean water, shelter, and good health, how can our “basics” include personal aspirations as well as the collective aspirations of global citizenship? Can we use the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals as our global aspirations? Not with much certainty, as eight years later we are no closer to achieving them. Profit is still winning outrageously over eradicating poverty, and conflict over unity. We are far from a united humanity. &nbsp;&nbsp;So this year I am taking a different approach. It will still involve <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/become-the-best-version-of-yourself" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">self-improvement</a>, because we are here to evolve, and because collective change is predicated upon individual change. But there is something much greater at play—our connectedness and our responsibility for each other.&nbsp;Many spiritual teachers have spoken about pain and suffering in this world. Eckhart Tolle describes the pain body of human beings, Babuji explores pain and miseries in his book, Voice Real, and the Buddha sees life itself as suffering because of its ever-changing impermanence. The same pain and suffering that affects individuals also affects families, communities, and whole populations. Can we dismiss it as karma? That would be heartless, and we are not heartless.<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/back_basics2_2398fca92a.webp" alt="back-basics2.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_back_basics2_2398fca92a.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_back_basics2_2398fca92a.webp 400w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/back_basics2_2398fca92a.webp 400w," sizes="100vw"></figure><h4 style="text-align:justify;">Challenges and aspirations</h4>So, this year, my resolutions will address individual and collective challenges, and individual and collective aspirations. It is an attempt to create a realistic wish list for change.For the sake of argument, let’s just say my 30,000-feet aspirations for 2024 are:Simple living, Spiritual evolution, Harmonious relationships, Well-being, Happiness, Authenticity, and&nbsp; Acceptance,&nbsp;for everyone, including myself.With reflection, it becomes clear that each aspiration comes with its own set of realities, and they are not always compatible with the others. For example, spiritual evolution and worldly happiness don’t automatically go together. Spiritual growth has many rewards, but they are not of this world. So, what is more important—spiritual evolution or happiness? It’s important to decide which one is more important.&nbsp;Harmony is an important aspiration, but is it realistic to expect all our relationships to be harmonious? Or our important relationships to always be harmonious? Any relationship will go through frequent changes over time, with periods of harmony and periods of disharmony. It is how we navigate those changes that matters. It affects us at the personal level, but it also determines how we navigate global conflicts like the ones between Palestine and Israel, Saudi Arabia and the Yemen.&nbsp;Will harmonious relationships always be compatible with spiritual evolution? Not according to my observations. The most spiritually evolved people I know demand a lot from their loved ones, and harmony exists only because those loved ones are willing to make the sacrifices involved.&nbsp;Are well-being and happiness compatible with spiritual evolution? Not always. In fact, the life of a spiritual person may require less than adequate health, and personal happiness is at odds with the growth and change demanded of them and the responsibilities they take on.&nbsp;Just as it appears that none of these aspirations are compatible with spiritual growth, we come to simple living, which appears to be compatible with all the other aspirations. It enhances everything, always. The same is true of authenticity and acceptance. Yet, authenticity also challenges us to look at everything with insight, clarity, and discernment, which is a tall order requiring love and compassion. It is only possible with acceptance, the last aspiration on the list, which may just be the antidote to most of the problems we face in life. It doesn’t solve them, but it brings us “back to basics,” to a neutral attitude without partiality and prejudice, a starting point from which to move forward. I feel like this is the step we often miss. We try to solve things from our own point of view most of the time.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Acceptance may just be the antidote&nbsp; to most of the problems we face in life.&nbsp; It doesn’t solve them, but it brings us “back to basics,”&nbsp; to a neutral attitude without partiality and prejudice, a starting point from which to move forward.</h4><hr><figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/back_basics3_e1f966488d.webp" alt="back-basics3.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_back_basics3_e1f966488d.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_back_basics3_e1f966488d.webp 400w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/back_basics3_e1f966488d.webp 400w," sizes="100vw"></figure><h4>A way to contribute</h4>What can we do to be part of the solution to the collective crises we face? For a wise person, the immediate answer is intention – the power of human thought. It is highly underutilized. We can direct our thoughts toward love, unity, and harmony. And this is easily done through simple practices, for example, <a href="https://www.peacefulness.org/our-intentions" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the 3 Peacefulness Intentions</a>:<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/back_basics4_75e0703606.webp" alt="back-basics4.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_back_basics4_75e0703606.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_back_basics4_75e0703606.webp 400w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/back_basics4_75e0703606.webp 400w," sizes="100vw"></figure><h1 style="text-align:center;">1</h1><h4 style="text-align:center;">Among all people in the world &nbsp;Let there be compassion Let there be kindness&nbsp; Let there be love Let there be peace. &nbsp;</h4><figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/back_basics5_0f4969e935.webp" alt="back-basics5.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_back_basics5_0f4969e935.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_back_basics5_0f4969e935.webp 400w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/back_basics5_0f4969e935.webp 400w," sizes="100vw"></figure><h1 style="text-align:center;">2</h1><h4 style="text-align:center;">Everything around you is absorbing peace,&nbsp; including the sky, the oceans, the trees,&nbsp; the people, the wildlife, the buildings— and everything is radiating peace.</h4><figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/back_basics6_d689e38f57.webp" alt="back-basics6.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_back_basics6_d689e38f57.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_back_basics6_d689e38f57.webp 400w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/back_basics6_d689e38f57.webp 400w," sizes="100vw"></figure><h1 style="text-align:center;">3</h1><h4 style="text-align:center;">Everyone is becoming peaceful,&nbsp; nurturing correct thinking, right understanding,&nbsp; and integrity of purpose.</h4><h4 style="text-align:center;">&nbsp;</h4>Imagine, if everyone around the world practiced one, two, or three of these intentions every day from the depth of their hearts. All wars could end, all resources could be shared, and we could easily achieve the 17 SDGs of the UN. Our mindsets would change, triggering a momentous global shift, because we would care for everyone and everything. Practicing intentions is free of charge, simple to do, only takes a few minutes, and everyone can join in.&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">We can direct our &nbsp;thoughts toward&nbsp; love, unity, and harmony.</h4><hr>So, this is my resolution for 2024. I will continue with self-improvement, caring for my near and dear ones, and volunteering for activities in my local community, but it is also my wish as a global citizen to contribute to collective change, and this is a positive way I can do that.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Illustrations by JASMEE MUDGAL</h4><hr>

Back to basics

<hr><h4>Despite all the gadgets, technologies and virtual working styles in most modern offices, it is still relationships that matter most. Here are a few tips from ELIZABETH DENLEY on creating effective working relationships and teams:</h4><hr>Meet face-to- face when possible. Effective teamwork needs the human touch.Look for everyone’s genius.Be open and welcome different points of view and styles of working.Listen. You will learn a lot!When you speak, let your voice radiate calmness, cooperation and trust, without defensiveness, roughness or aggression.Be willing to see past your own agenda. Harmony matters more than being right. All situations are opportunities to expand your consciousness.Be patient. Pause. Be poised. Center yourself when necessary.Consciously let go of any negative reactions and conflict that arise.When there are differences of opinion, take up the challenge o f integrating them into a higher synergy. A strong collective vision transcends individual perspectives. The whole is always greater than the parts.Before sleeping at night, scan the events of your day. How can you do better next time? Resolve not to repeat mistakes and then you will sleep with a light, happy disposition.<hr><a href="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/10tips_work3_603fd17e1c.jpg"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/10tips_work3_603fd17e1c.jpg" alt=""></a>&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Article by ELIZABETH DENLEY</h4>&nbsp;<hr>

10 tips for working with others

<h3 style="text-align:center;">EDITOR’S BOOK AND FILM REVIEW</h3><h4 style="text-align:justify;">ELIZABETH DENLEY reviews the book, Amphibious Soul, and describes how Craig Foster’s experiences in the natural world, particularly the southern oceans off the tip of South Africa, helped her to understand aspects of her own life that can now be integrated into her soul’s journey.</h4>Recently I read Amphibious Soul by Craig Foster, the creator of the Oscar-winning documentary, My Octopus Teacher. I loved that film, having grown up next to the ocean in Australia and worked as a marine ecologist through my twenties. Foster’s story spoke directly to my own experiences with sea creatures and the beauty of the natural world. Like Foster, I had explored both land and sea ecosystems, loved the wild flow of nature, and felt boxed in by city life and the concrete jungle.I studied zoology, botany, and marine ecosystems at university, using a very practical experimental approach. I was energized by working in the field and by the scientific process of discovering patterns in the distribution and abundance of plants and animals, until one day that was no longer enough. I felt stuck in a particular worldview and wanted to break free. The scientific approach treated living creatures in a mechanistic way, and I needed to complement that with something more subtle and beautiful to truly satisfy a deep yearning to understand the natural world.When I turned my back on a career in ecology, little did I realize how important that phase of my life would turn out to be. And Craig Foster’s film and book were catalysts that helped me honor it and tie it all together.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Instead of the focus just being on external knowledge,&nbsp; I also found an awareness of insight, direct perception, intuition, communion, and learning by osmosis.</h4><hr>That is the beauty of non-fiction books and documentaries. The experiences and expression of another person can resonate and inspire, teach and give solace. Foster’s way of experiencing the world resonated so deeply with mine, that it allowed me to understand my younger self and move forward.But that is not all. My time studying ecosystems was not just about the data I collected in the field for scientific studies. Most days I was out on seashores, in kelp forests, helping associates with their fieldwork in the rainforest, on coral reefs, tracking whale migrations and bird migrations. Sometimes I would look at the animals and plants we were studying and ask, “While we are studying you, what do you think of us?” There was a genuine communion at some level, and that’s when I knew there was something more than statistical data and morphological descriptions. As a child, my favorite trees were dear friends, and dolphins were playmates, and I didn’t want to lose that connection.Five years later I discovered the spiritual practice known as Heartfulness, and immediately a light went on. Here was a method of discovery that held many missing pieces of the puzzle. Instead of the focus just being on external knowledge, I also found an awareness of insight, direct perception, intuition, communion, and learning by osmosis. It was a lifeline, literally. I felt truly alive for the first time in years, and became hopeful that this would bring the answers I needed so much at that time. It was as if a deep search for meaning was directing my life without my conscious involvement. I also knew from the beginning that spirituality would take me to realms way beyond this visible world, and that is a story more important than this one, but for another day.Looking back, I realize that all the fieldwork, the rigorous training and discipline of the scientific method, the refining of observational skills, the honing of an inquiring mind, and the mentoring of my teachers were just what I needed to embark on a spiritual journey. I had been very well trained. Not only that, but being in nature all those years allowed me to be at peace with the simplicity and dynamic flow of the natural world. I could love the Deodar tree in our front garden as much as a person or a frog or a colony of fire ants. The sun, the moon, the stars, and the planets were living beings worthy of <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/comm-unity" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">love and respect</a>, and in the bush our lives often depended upon them. Water was a living being, so was air and fragrance and the lifeforce that rose out of the Earth in the springtime. And they all communicated and listened. They all offered love and rejoiced in receiving it.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/ropes_to_god2_2d286220cc.jpg" alt="ropes-to-god2.jpg" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_ropes_to_god2_2d286220cc.jpg 199w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/small_ropes_to_god2_2d286220cc.jpg 500w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/medium_ropes_to_god2_2d286220cc.jpg 750w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;When I read Amphibious Soul, another light went on, because Foster’s writing is so in tune with spirituality. At one point he says, “The tame world can distort our priorities, leading us to place too much importance on gratifying our egos. In the wild world, no one individual is more important than any other. When a San hunter brings a big animal home to feed the village, the people tease him: ‘Why did you even bother? Why’d you bring us this old bag of bones?’ They do this because they know the ego is a dangerous thing. They’ve had thousands of years to see how placing some people above others creates envy, jealousy, greed. And when our tame-world egos and desires grow too big, we begin to fight with one another and we devour our own home, our Mother, our sanctuary.”Spending time in nature keeps us in a state of surrender, because we are part of an ecosystem, we are not separate beings. The survival of each individual is dependent on the whole system. Humility develops naturally because we are such small specks in a vast universe. It is ridiculous to see ourselves as important when life is thriving all around, and when every species has its own specialty that we don’t have. We may have created the illusion of separateness in our glamorous houses, cars, and airplanes, but without the natural world we have no air to breathe, water to drink, food to eat, or shelter to protect us.&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Spending time in nature keeps us in a state of surrender, because we are part of an ecosystem, we are not separate beings.</h4><hr>Also, our original state is to love the world, to feel her heart in everything. The ancients honored her in small but meaningful ways, like ritual offerings to the sun, with water, with fire, with earth, acknowledging the spirit of the universe. Many villagers still do the same today. We may smile at their quaintness, but deep down many of us feel the reverence of lighting a candle to our ancestors, or to whatever form of Creator we adore, even when our deity is materiality. And most of us feel refreshed in nature, because we feel the connection with the lifeforce all around us.The tagline to Foster’s book is “Finding the wild in a tame world.” Think of wild as God’s creation and tame as human creation. Which feels correct? The spiritual journey is all about removing our limited human creation to allow God’s creation to shine from within. Foster’s chapter on Love starts with, “Close your eyes and take a deep breath. As you breath in and out, take note of what you hear. Maybe it’s the sound of cars zooming past, your neighbor mowing the lawn, a plane soaring overhead. Reflect, too, on what you saw before you closed your eyes… Reflect for a moment on just how new the tame world is, how different it is from what thousands and thousands of your ancestors would have seen when they looked around them, what they would have heard. Now take a moment to experience the world as they might have. Can you see in your mind’s eye this wild world?”Nature teaches us about kinship, belonging, listening, taking only what we truly need, accepting discomfort, and respecting the roles of others, because without those things we do not survive in nature. The more we separate ourselves, the less we depend on those qualities and the further we stray from our natural humility and dependency.Thanks to Craig Foster’s beautiful documentary and book, I now see my childhood and scientific training as a wonderful preparation for the spiritual journey I embarked upon in my early thirties, which continues to sustain me beyond any possible imagining in deeper and greater ways.A lifetime has taught me that science and spirituality are not at odds. At one point I needed to create a separation in order to let go of paradigms that limited my consciousness and expand my worldview, but eventually the various pieces of the puzzle needed to be integrated. I am truly grateful that life has offered that possibility. Nature and God are complementary and interchangeable aspects of the lifeforce, and my soul is here in joy and gratitude to celebrate both and experience life in its purity.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Nature teaches us about kinship, belonging, listening, taking only what we truly need,&nbsp; accepting discomfort, and respecting the roles of others,&nbsp; because without those things we do not survive in nature. &nbsp;The more we separate ourselves, the less we depend on those qualities and the further we stray from our natural humility and dependency.</h4><hr><h4 style="text-align:justify;">Exercise</h4>Foster shares the following San practice called “Ropes to God.”“You go outside in the morning and a bird lands in a nearby tree. You make a thread to that bird, just a gentle feeling of connection, acknowledging the birds’ presence and its place in the world. Then you see &nbsp;a small insect climbing a branch. You make a thread to it. ‘I see you insect. I’m grateful for what you do for our world.’“You do this with all the animals and plants you see, building these spider threads of connection and love. Then one day the threads weave together and form a rope, a conduit to the source of all life.”&nbsp;<img class="image_resized" style="width:75%;" src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/ropes_to_god3_c1bc32eac6.jpg" alt="ropes-to-god3.jpg" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_ropes_to_god3_c1bc32eac6.jpg 235w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/small_ropes_to_god3_c1bc32eac6.jpg 500w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/medium_ropes_to_god3_c1bc32eac6.jpg 750w," sizes="100vw">

Ropes to God

<h4>ELIZABETH DENLEY describes how <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/emergency-cleaning" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Heartfulness Cleaning</a> has evolved over time, a good reminder that it is a dynamic method that continues to unfold and bring new awareness and insight. Along with that also comes awe at the potential of the human mind.</h4>After decades of practicing Heartfulness, you may think there is little more to discover, but I’m still filled with wonder whenever something unexpected and astounding emerges on this inner journey. It may be something I already know at a certain level, but then experience at a deeper level of consciousness and therefore with a deeper understanding. Those lightbulb moments are so joyful.In January and early February this year, something new happened around the process of Cleaning, which is the detoxification practice done in the evening to remove the mental and emotional baggage and heaviness that has accumulated during the day.When I first started Heartfulness, I was so impressed with the Cleaning that I would sit every evening for 30 minutes; it was better than any therapy session. Subconscious images, sounds, feelings, remembrances, and a growing awareness of how different strands of life were intertwined rose to the surface and left, effortlessly. Sometimes it meant emotional discomfort, but I wanted the limitations of the past to be gone, so discomfort was a small price to pay. I wanted to experience life beyond those limitations.Every evening, during that practice, I felt a load shift, and I would write reams in my journal. Every week, when I had a meditation session with a trainer, I would feel a bigger load shift. Every time I joined the group meditations, I realized that layers of experience were being sifted and dislodged so as to reach the treasure at the center of my being. Dreams became pointers to impressions that were being cleaned from my system. Everything was working to remove the complexities. I remember the first time I sat for meditation with a thoughtless still mind, and realized that an enormous amount of inner work had been done in such a short time, for which there was deep gratitude.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Every evening, during that practice,&nbsp; I felt a load shift, and I would write reams in my journal.&nbsp; Every week, when I had a meditation session with a trainer,&nbsp; I would feel a bigger load shift. Every time I joined the group meditations,&nbsp; I realized that layers of experience were being sifted and dislodged so as to reach the treasure at the center of my being.</h4><hr>As a scientist, it was an amazing experience to witness this inner work that went deeper than anything I had known in psychology or any other <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/the-journey-of-total-health" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">spiritual system</a>. The resulting changes were life-transforming.Over the weeks, the months, the years, and the decades, that intensity would wax and wane, like all natural processes and rhythms. At times Cleaning required less intensity, less duration, because there was space and stillness. Then the intensity would increase for as long as needed. Over time, the process of Cleaning became less forceful, subtler, and it felt light and effortless. Then, this year something different happened.In the second half of January, I noticed I was sitting for Cleaning like clockwork for at least 30 minutes most evenings. It wasn’t intended; more like someone else was the doer or natural processes were at play. Each session was intense and raw, a review of those periods of this life and past lives that had been buried, in lucid, vivid detail, sometimes visually like a movie, sometimes simply as memories, feelings, and emotions, and always with the same intensity without any filters and at great speed. Sometimes it was uncomfortable.Looking back at those events, decisions made, and things that today seem so ludicrous and purposeless, my life appeared ridiculous, I appeared ridiculous. A life without a higher purpose appeared ridiculous. I remembered both wonderful and stupid things, but it was all without weight, a prelude. It was not negative, and at times I was smiling at the absurdity of it all. It was very liberating after the initial discomfort. There was nothing to hold onto, and nothing worth retaining. The identity, the ego, is just a tool to evolve, not what gives meaning to existence.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/expect_the_unexpected2_eced5ac238.webp" alt="expect-the-unexpected2.webp"></figure><hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">As a scientist, it was an amazing experience to witness this inner work that went deeper than anything I had known in psychology or any other spiritual system.&nbsp;</h4><hr>Deep philosophical thoughts about the purpose and flow of eternal existence, the meaning of various experiences, and the practice of Cleaning itself—of replacing human vibrations with divine vibrations—all happened at indeterminate speed during these Cleaning sessions. It was a complete reset, and felt as though the practice had been upgraded.This occurred during the days leading up to a big event in our community, the celebration of the birth anniversary of Lalaji, the first Heartfulness Guru, from February 1 to 3. On each day, there were <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/the-allure-of-distraction" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">group meditations</a> with Daaji, during which I experienced some of the same raw intensity and cleaning, but always the meditations plunged into nothingness and no being. It was a lighter state than I remember experiencing before. It was not beautiful, because it didn’t have qualities. There was no blissful intoxication, no profound awareness or insight, and nothing to attach to; yet in that there was a joy and freedom that cannot be described. It was a state so still, so clear, full of potential movement that subsided, re-emerged, subsided, re-emerged. The potential in nothing-ness was riveting.Looking back, none of this awareness would have been possible without the intense preparation that happened in the days leading up to the event. The experience is still being absorbed a week after the celebration ended. Life has changed and words can’t describe that change. One thing I can say is that true awareness is only possible when it is not tethered, because only then is it universal and able to flow freely. Otherwise it is “colored,” attached to some pull or push. It may even be an evolutionary pull or push, something useful, like the love for a mother, the love for a Guru, the love for God. They are stepping stones, catalysts to take us where the divine current flows without weight, without pulls and pushes.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">The simplest of practices keep unfolding in unimaginable ways.&nbsp;</h4><hr>Apart from the wonder of the experience itself, the last month has been a reminder that each Heartfulness practice continues to evolve into something deeper and more potent over time. The instructions remain the same, but it is done at a different level. And that sometimes happens in a leap, not always as a gradual change. Over the years, I have often said that Cleaning doesn’t happen the way it did earlier, but now that statement has taken on a whole new meaning.I often pinch myself that life has led to such a profound and dynamic method for transformation. The simplest of practices keep unfolding in unimaginable ways.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Expect the unexpected

<h4 style="text-align:justify;">ELIZABETH DENLEY shares some experiences of remembrance, and how it enlivens her life and her relationships with herself and others.&nbsp;</h4>At various moments throughout any day and night, remembrances surface like bubbles rising to the top of a pond, as people and other beings appear, momentarily bursting into consciousness. The heart naturally offers an impulse of love to those being remembered, and that impulse is itself a gift of love flowing constantly from the Beloved.Love is received from the Source and passed on to others as a blessing, via the conduit of the Beloved, who is my teacher, mentor, and spiritual Master. In this way, the universe is constantly being created, as love is constantly flowing from the Source, touching every nook and corner of existence, through connections and entanglements.Sometimes those who receive these impulses of love are strangers, sometimes associates or friends. They may be dear ones, and often the flow is recycled back to the Beloved himself. They can appear in vivid consciousness, almost too much to bear; or as an undercurrent, subtle, almost imperceptible; or anywhere in between.They can be here or on the other side of the Earth; an ancestor, long gone yet full of presence; or a great being woven into a past or future existence. Connections do not need physical bodies to be real. Love and remembrance transcend time and space, the physical and the non-physical dimensions. You may have heard of Indra’s Net—the mythological web of connections and interdependencies that is this universe. Well, I have observed that remembrance can surface from anywhere across the full expanse of that field, and so it taps into the collective consciousness and unconsciousness.The mental function we know as memory, smriti, is one of the 5 functions of human thinking described by the great sage Patanjali a few thousand years back. In his treatise, the Yoga Sutra, he called them the 5 vrittis, and all have magical gifts that we have been given to aid our speedy evolution. But they are not just functions of thinking. Number 4, smriti, memory, is more about feelings than thoughts, and more about subtle essence than feelings. The heaviest of memories may be complicated, even traumatic, charged with emotions and desires, but the subtlest may have a homeopathic quality with nothing detectable, just essence. There may not be any weight at all, just as there may be an undetectable fragrance of jasmine that causes a hidden lifetime from another era to bubble up to the surface of consciousness.Memory becomes subtler and lighter in nature over time with regular <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/the-neuroscience-of-meditation" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">meditation</a>. We go beyond thought, and beyond feeling, too, so that memory and love are entangled in remembrance. When we reach the subtlest love for and memory of our original home, we reach the ultimate remembrance. Thankfully, easier by far, we can also reach that ultimate stage by becoming one with the Beloved, who is himself in osmosis with the original home. This is the great boon we receive on the spiritual journey of love and beyond.And when does that happen? When we remember, when our consciousness is pulled.Love is always flowing through us, like gravity, from the Source outward and back again. It cannot not be there, only perhaps hidden by our own lack of awareness. When we become conscious and aware of the Beloved’s presence, then we remember. And we remember when our consciousness is pulled—by a beautiful scene, a beautiful face with eyes framing the soul, a beautiful piece of music, the joy of life itself, the person who stirs our hearts, or the Light at the Center of our hearts. Those objects of our love keep coming to us again and again, until we realize they are inviting us to dissolve in them. That is the beauty of using memory in search of Oneness; it allows us to remain connected and entangled. It allows us to remember.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Memory becomes subtler and lighter in nature over time with regular <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/an-experience-in-meditation" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">meditation</a>.&nbsp; We go beyond thought, and beyond feeling, too, so that memory and&nbsp; love are entangled in remembrance.</h4><hr>What is not true is that we are directing the composition of our love like a conductor. At best, we choose to celebrate and yield to the flow, rather than resist it, but we do not have any control over love. We can, however, try to attune with it, be in osmosis. It is manifesting the heart-to-heart connections in this divine play in which we are actors. We need only open our hearts to the flow of love and remembrance.If I close my eyes and remember my Beloved’s hands, their fragrance and the vibration radiating from them is instantly present, no matter that he is on another continent. When I remember his eyes, they pull me inward. When I remember his being, his essence is everywhere. But even sweeter is when there is no conscious remembrance of these things; there is a presence that I cannot describe and cannot always feel, but if I check, it is there and always has been.Often we quote the great inspirational texts and scriptures that say God is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient, God is at the heart of every being.What do they mean?That we are all connected with God at every moment of every day of all the many lives of our existence. We are never apart from the Ultimate being.That we remain bathed in divine love, no matter what mistakes we make during our lives. We are as innocent as young children, and He is forever gently drawing the love from of our hearts and just as gently drawing our love into Him. Life itself is a pure expression of that ebb and flow. We are not solid beings, we are conduits of life force.That we are entangled in Indra’s Net. It explains so much—why there are discoveries like the observer effect, why there is a quantum field, why consciousness is always collective, and why the soul is joy.And probably so much more.&nbsp;We swim in remembrance of the loving Source that holds this universe together, supported by great beings. In their remembrance, we touch the essence and purpose of life, not just human life, as well as consciousness, and what lies beyond consciousness. For this we simply have to start the journey and keep going.<img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/indras_net2_3bf582ab07.webp" alt="indras-net2.webp"><hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">We are all connected with God at every moment of every day of all the many lives of our existence. We are never apart from the Ultimate being.</h4><hr><hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">AI generated images</h4><hr>

Indra’s net

<h4 style="text-align:justify;">ELIZABETH DENLEY reflects on grace, transmission, and creativity, revealing how grace lies at the heart of inspiration and insight.</h4>Do you sometimes feel that life is blessed and things are unfolding effortlessly, without force or struggle? Some people say it is because of “grace” or “God’s grace.” There is a famous proverb, “There but for the grace of God go I,” attributed to John Bradford, who witnessed criminals being led to their death by execution in the 1500s. It expresses the humility and acceptance that we are not any more worthy, simply blessed by the grace of God.Grace is more likely to be gifted when we are lost in whatever we are doing or in a condition of complete helplessness. This happens when we are no longer the doer, when we transcend ourselves and enter that “invisible somewhere” (to borrow a phrase from Daaji), and our most joyful, creative states emerge.If you look around, you will find the word “grace” appearing often. While it may not be so fashionable these days due to its religious connotations, it has been part of our language for centuries. The Latin “gratus” meant pleasing or thankful; “gratia” in Old French meant favor, charm, or thanks; “grateful” appeared in Old English, and “grace” in Middle English. The words “pleasing,” “thankful,” “gracious,” and “grateful” are all connected to the concept of grace.In Sanskrit, there are several words for grace, including “kripa,” also meaning mercy and blessing; “anugraha,” also meaning favor and blessing; and “prasada,” which refers to grace as a gift. The Hebrew word “hēn” conveys the idea that grace is not earned but given freely by God. A good analogy is that the sun shines on everything, yet we choose whether to expose ourselves to it or not. Similarly, grace is available everywhere, so how do we prepare ourselves to receive it? The way may not be what we think!&nbsp;The most beloved Christian hymn of all time is “Amazing Grace,” which has been recorded by legendary artists such as Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash. It expresses the beauty of a sinner’s redemption and celebrates the transformative power of divine grace. The hymn’s writer, John Newton, was a slave trader leading an unscrupulous life. A dramatic turn occurred when he was rescued from a storm at sea and was transformed by the grace of God. He experienced a deep spiritual awakening and wrote the hymn to express his gratitude.And then there’s the remarkable transformation of Saint Paul, who was struck by a blinding light on the road to Damascus, heard the voice of Jesus, and was transformed from a persecutor to a lover. He later wrote in a letter to the Corinthians, “He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’” This statement hints at the importance of qualities like vulnerability and humility. It resonates with the Heartfulness tradition, where Lalaji once shared with Babuji: “The power earned through self-effort is not as potent as that obtained through divine grace. Full power is given only as a gift.”&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/grace_creative_spark2_554cba846d.webp" alt="grace-creative-spark2.webp"></figure>&nbsp;Creative people resonate with this principle. We may practice an art form diligently to acquire the necessary techniques, yet both a beautiful piece of music and a magnificent painting emerge from beyond the craft. The creative spark is a gift. And this is true in all fields, not only the arts. Did Sir Issac Newton discover gravity through analytical thought? No, it started with the inspiration of watching an apple fall from a tree and asking why it fell down, not up or sideways. His ability to then relate this to the force that held the moon in orbit around the Earth led to the universal law of gravitation.In the Heartfulness tradition, we speak of “divine grace” as flowing from the Base or Center as a gift. The living master readily attracts that flow; in fact, it regularly flows wherever he is and sometimes showers upon us during special, large gatherings where we gather with him to celebrate sacred events. He also utilizes the process of transmission, or pranahuti, which is not as subtle and potent as grace, yet remains a potent catalyst for human transformation initiated by the will of the Master. This ability to utilize transmission was the great rediscovery of Lalaji, which enabled the practices of Heartfulness to flourish from the early 20th century till today, when thousands of trainers around the world form a network that acts as a distribution system for the transmission.In his latest book, The Heartfulness Way, Book 2, Daaji has written, “Babuji said that what we really need for our ultimate purpose is only divine grace, and this is where the role of the master becomes vital. As we discussed, he directs the flow into our hearts and doses it according to our needs and for our growth, through pranahuti.”Babuji also said, “Everything, no doubt, depends upon the divine grace, but our job is to make room for it within ourselves. That is all the purport of our practice or abhyas, to which we should all try to remain alive at every moment.” In other words, our daily meditative practices are the tools that make room for it. By meditating on the heart with transmission, we invite divine grace into our lives every day.&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Grace is more likely to be gifted when we are lost in whatever we are doing or in a condition of complete helplessness. This happens when we are no longer the doer, when we transcend ourselves and enter that “invisible somewhere” (to borrow a phrase from Daaji), and our most joyful, creative states emerge.&nbsp;</h4><hr>&nbsp;But there is more! Lalaji also told Babuji, “The condition of right action is created in someone only through God’s grace. This is to say that the origin of that rightness of action is God. Then where is the occasion for pride?” This was the experience of John Newton and Saint Paul, as well as my own and that of many others. Without the gift of God’s grace and the master’s transmission, life would have remained wanting, without true purpose and depth. Various dimensions would not have opened up, and my character could not have transformed. Self-effort is commendable, but it is not enough. Yielding to something higher is essential for transformation. This is the open secret to living in this world and to growing spiritually. And it is not enough to know it intellectually; the revelation has to come from lived experience.Babuji once described an associate who initially visited him with an extremely complex and heavy condition, so Babuji removed the entanglements and heaviness. When the associate visited him a couple of years later, Babuji found him full again, but this time with a subtle form of heaviness, and it was much harder to correct. So he traced the cause to the fact that the associate relied on his own labors rather than on the grace of God.Many artists share this understanding. For example, Julia Cameron, a contemporary teacher of the creative arts and author of over fifty books, most notably The Artist’s Way, describes creativity as a <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/your-life-is-an-expression-of-your-attitudes" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">spiritual practice</a>. The Baroque composer J.S. Bach relied on God for his inspiration, viewing his musical talent as a divine trust and dedicating every composition to God. The great Michelangelo said, “I work out of love for God, and put all my hope in Him,” and “Only God creates. The rest of us just copy.”Sometimes we hit a creative wall and wait for divine inspiration to flow again. Regarding this, Heartfulness has been life-changing for me, because the master’s ability to direct pranahuti offers continuous presence and inspiration. Creative burnout is widely discussed, but the simple act of meditating with pranahuti can offer unexpected awareness and expanded consciousness, enabling a new perspective and awakening potential in mysterious ways. Although it is not the primary reason for meditating, as we sit with our eyes closed and dive into our hearts, we invite the divine grace, which is available to us all. It is the <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/safety-transformation" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">creative spark</a>.&nbsp;

Grace is the Creative Spark

Elizabeth_Gilbert.jpg

Elizabeth Gilbert

The creative process

Darkness and light

Dr. Lindsey is a Hawaiian anthropologist who travels to remote regions documenting indigenous knowledge. Lindsey’s lectures at the world’s leading academic institutions and technology companies are a call to action, reshaping perspectives on global leadership. She is a recipient of the United Nations Visionary Award.

elizabeth-lindsey.jpg

Elizabeth Kapu’uwailani Lindsey

<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;

Finding our way

Emilie is a regenerative leader and practitioner of planetary design thinking, deeply committed&nbsp;to&nbsp;advancing&nbsp;education&nbsp;that&nbsp;integrates&nbsp;inner&nbsp;and&nbsp;outer&nbsp;development.&nbsp;She&nbsp;leads a regenerative educational project within business colleges, where the focus is on helping future leaders embrace systems that prioritize personal growth and ecological responsibility equally.&nbsp;Through her work, Emilie fosters a shift from ego-driven ambition to ecosystemic co-creation, inspiring resilient, transparent, and collaborative approaches to leadership and innovation.<img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/image_7413c49c52.png"> #regenerativeleadership

Emilie.jpg

Emilie Mogensen

<h4>MICHAEL STAUSHOLM has been working with sustainability in the business world for more than 20 years. He is the founder and CEO of Sprout World, headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, with an office in Boston, USA. Sprout World was named the second most sustainable company in Europe in 2020 by Fast Company, and Michael was included in the Worthy 100 list of entrepreneurs who use their businesses to do good in 2021 by Worth Media. EMILIE MOGENSEN writes about the interview she did with him recently on his company and his values.</h4><hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/planting_hope1_700x128_ff3fecf8a2.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-10T12:51:56.263Z" alt="planting-hope1">As a European entrepreneur, with a Masters in Conscious Business and Entrepreneurship from NYU, I recently gave myself a challenge as a freelance writer for the Heartfulness Magazine. So far, I have spoken to North American conscious entrepreneurs. Next was to approach some European companies that excel in their values and integrity around sustainability and eco-ethics.Sprout is a company that fits this category of pioneers and early adaptors to a world where business owners take more responsibility for the planet and people than we have seen before in history. Michael Stausholm founded Sprout in 2013.I am really curious to hear if Michael has a contemplative practice, so it makes me smile when the very first thing we talk about is how Sprout is aligned with Mindfulness and a conscious approach to the inner environment of people. Michael explains that the simple thing of writing with a pencil is a value that speaks to him. It symbolizes the values he has managed to cultivate in the organization. The company created the first pencil that can be planted, growing herbs, vegetables and flowers from the little seeds inside.<img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Michael_Stausholm_1_d0effdc5a6.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-10T12:52:30.422Z" alt="Michael-Stausholm-1"><hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Sprout is a company that fits this category of pioneers and&nbsp; early adaptors to a world where businessowners&nbsp; take more responsibility for the planet and people.</h4><hr>There is something so simple and innocent about this idea, which makes it a captivating story; maybe because the world lacks the simplicity and authenticity of planting a simple seed and seeing it sprout. I feel a resonance with something honorable when I talk to Michael, and that makes me curious how he can stay centered in himself.He shares with me that he started a meditation practice during the lockdown, but it didn’t become his thing as much as taking long walks in silence, while clearing his head. I ask him if walking brings him into the present moment, and he seems to really agree with this way of stating it.There is something private around him, and I become curious because of this privacy. During our talk, I write notes about integrity, self-respect, and an inability to be flattered. On the Internet, many platforms write about Sprout and its impressive achievements. I can only imagine a person in Michael’s shoes is all the time meeting people who want something from him.I feel that his ability to stay so focused on a simple business model requires a lot of integrity, and it is what I notice about his private appearance. I know how easy it can be in the business world to fall out of the inner center, and it speaks to me that Michael keeps a distance while being able to express very profound values, going deeper into the human heart than a business adventure.When I ask him what makes him get out of bed every morning, his answer surprises me. He says it’s about being “proper,” and doing things properly. We speak Danish, and the word he uses is a very typical Danish word, so we become a bit word-nerdy when I ask him what the right word would be in English. I suggest “kind,” but we both agree that it is something else. The very fact that Michael takes the time to ponder over the word shows me how he really wants to live. He wants to do things properly, treat the planet and people in a genuine way, and this reflects in his organization.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/planting_hope2_1_700x443_d71933b0a0.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-10T12:53:08.853Z" alt="planting-hope2"><hr>Very few employees leave once they check in with Sprout, and most of the leaders have been with him from the start. I want to know how he cultivated this kind of loyalty in his Sprout community, and he is super clear in his answer: it’s all due to one simple truth, a really strong team of very skilled leaders. The organization is built on mutual trust, and nobody minds each other’s business. If someone needs to leave at 3 p.m., there are no questions asked. He emphasizes that the team consists of equal numbers of women and men.A part of me wants to ask why he is not totally into meditation, but I feel the need to withhold and be proper myself, as the conversation is not about my agenda of wanting to see the entire world meditating together. It is about Michael and Sprout, and how his business adventure is impacting the world, with its proper and compassionate eco-values.I ask Michael if he feels sustainable inside, and I love his answer. He says it’s not always easy to be conscious, because we need to change things in our lives, and it can seem a big task to change the world into a sustainable place. His suggestion is to start with small things, like moving closer to work, being able to leave the car at home and take his bicycle to work every day. He suggests that we look for ways to frame the difficulties in life into positive challenges. We laugh at the idea of an angry environmentalist being aggressive in their communication; it somehow seems counter-productive to the whole.“It’s really about being able to do those little things we do in Sprout,” he says. “We might not be saving the world by selling pencils, but surely we are contributing by planting seeds and giving people the opportunity to experience the sprouting process of a plant. It’s like we are planting little hopes in people’s lives.”<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Illustrations by LAKSHMI GADDAM</h4><hr>

Planting hope

<h4
 id="h-melissa-bernstein-is-the-co-founder-of-melissa-doug-a-toy-company-with-a-mission-to-provide-a-launch-pad-to-ignite-imagination-and-a-sense-of-wonder-in-all-children-so-they-can-discover-themselves-their-passions-and-their-purpose-in-this-article-emilie-mogensen-starts-with-a-simple-interview-approach-with-melissa-which-blossoms-into-much-more-a-meeting-of-kindred-spirits">
 MELISSA BERNSTEIN is the co-founder of <a
 href="https://www.melissaanddoug.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Melissa &amp; Doug</a>, a
 toy company with a mission to “provide a launch pad to ignite imagination and a sense of wonder in all children
 so they can discover themselves, their passions, and their purpose.” In this article, EMILIE MOGENSEN starts with a simple interview
 approach with Melissa, which blossoms into much more – a meeting of kindred spirits!
</h4>



<hr class="vertical-space1">



“I am fearful, oh, so fearful, that if you do not show me light I will lose the will to live, and choose to
 end this futile fight.”



Back in 1970, this verse was written by a 5-year-old girl, who learned early in life that expressing her innermost
 vulnerable feelings in creative writing was not merely an expression of words, it was a way to survive.



Originally, the intention of this article was to write a portrait of a very successful and conscious entrepreneur.
 But that seemed too linear for her. It feels true to the essence of her lively, ethereal, and delicate being, to
 instead share a mystical and most rewarding story of how a meeting on Zoom turned into a sweet connection between
 two creative souls.



When I first experienced Melissa Bernstein, she was a guest speaker at The Inner MBA, which I am currently
 doing through Mindful NYU, Sounds True and LinkedIn. I was unaware that I had been buying her designs over the years
 as toys for my kids. I discovered that when I looked her up and recognized the online red logo of “Melissa &amp;
 Doug.”



<hr class="vertical-space1">




<figure><img decoding="async" width="322" height="485" alt="" class="lazyload has-img-center"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/kindred_spirits2_f2ac9deec6.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T11:29:57.723Z">
</figure>




<hr class="vertical-space1">



I was taken by storm from the moment I saw her. She was free and fun, loving and sharing. Melissa has created more
 than 10,000 toys and made millions of children happy around the world. I was especially inspired when Melissa spoke
 about being a “white space creative.” I could relate to that frame of mind, or should I say lack of frame of mind:
 an ability to see the entire universe of a certain project, long before the first drawing is even made; an
 intuitive, delicate, and very sensitive ability to open up and allow the stream of creative inspiration to come
 through the body, in order to manifest into a product or artistic expression. I found myself tearing up several
 times during the one hour gathering we had with her. That inspired me to reach out to her – I wanted more!



<hr class="vertical-space1">



<figure><img decoding="async" width="600" height="495" alt="" class="lazyload has-img-center"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/kindred_spirits3_06376fdc58.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T11:32:30.712Z">
</figure>



<hr class="vertical-space1">



So I am meeting Melissa on Zoom and we bond immediately in a very natural way. We dive into a very personal and
 vulnerable conversation about my journey as an entrepreneur. I share with her how I had to close down my company
 after two years with a wrongly-matched investor on board. She listens and asks questions, is compassionate, caring,
 and very intriguing.



So, here I am, having forgotten all my planned interview questions, in a fruitful and connecting conversation about
 life and death, heart-centered entrepreneurship, and how draining it can be to insist on cultivating intuition and
 sensitivity in a harsh business world.



<hr class="vertical-space1">



<hr>



<h4 class="has-text-align-center">She has transformed
 these tormenting shadows through intense therapy, heart centering, and her never-ending need to express herself creatively, through toys and writing verses.</h4>



<hr>



<hr class="vertical-space1">



Her joyful spirit makes me feel seen and appreciated, for what and who I am, in my innermost real place. In her
 presence, I unfold and expand my intuitive and creative wings in a free and relaxed way.



Later in our conversation, I discover that this happy spirit of hers was not always so happy. Melissa suffered from
 severe depression over more than two decades. Design and creativity were literally a lifeline for her. She needed to
 express herself creatively in order to transform what she calls her inner darkness. Inner despair, suicidal thoughts
 at the age of 19, and profound inner shadows, were part of Melissa’s journey.



She has transformed these tormenting shadows through intense therapy, heart centering, and her never-ending need to
 express herself creatively, through toys and writing verses.



She now helps many people through her newly-established entrepreneur adventure, Lifelines, which assists people to
 transform their inner darkness.



I don’t want to go into details about the achievements of Melissa and her husband Doug. You can Google their
 extraordinary journey – two entrepreneurs, who have been happily married for more than 35 years, with six kids.
 Today, Melissa &amp; Doug has a net worth of nearly 1 billion USD. Seen through the eyes of an average person like
 myself, this seems like the classic, slightly overwhelming, and maybe even intimidating fairy tale of the American
 dream.



But there is no such energy around her; she is not overwhelming and intimidating. She shows up as a very authentic,
 present, and feminine person, with wet hair after her morning shower, open-hearted, curious, and joyful.



I know that we can trust each other, and so does she. We laugh, skip all the surface talk, and jump right into the
 deepest and most painful parts of ourselves, sharing them in a space of mutual trust and empathy.



My intuitive feeling of a new world dawning, where like-minded people from different communities meet and connect,
 despite sitting on different continents with different backgrounds and nationalities, is unfolding in front of me.
 Feelings of deep meaning, gratitude, and connection bring me great joy in the two hours we talk, laugh, share, and
 connect.



We talk about how it has taken her many years to truly believe in herself, when surrounded by commercial people who
 use the left side of the brain in their work. It is a personal coaching session for me. I take it all. It resonates
 profoundly with my own journey as an intuitive creative in the business world.



She clearly feels in her body how the powerful urge to create can feel like a blessing in disguise. She even has a
 word for it, “Blurse” (blessing-curse). Coming from a family with a lot of creative entrepreneurs, I can relate to
 this rather exhausting paradox.



When Melissa starts sharing with me, she always checks in with her heart before taking any decision. I mention to her
 that I am a trainer of Heartfulness meditation. She immediately feels inclined to meditate together, and we clear
 three days during the following week to dive deep and transform together.



<hr class="vertical-space1">




<figure><img decoding="async" width="600" height="461" alt="" class="lazyload has-img-center"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/kindred_spirits4_1a7e557ce7.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T11:33:59.269Z">
</figure>




<hr class="vertical-space1">



A part of me is soothed by her presence. Something about her having gone through inner pain, questioning her reason
 to stay alive, yet creating a company with more than 800 employees, fascinates me. There is a hidden power in her,
 behind the down-to-earth, smiling, and curious personality.



She shares how hard she has worked with her therapist to transform her anxiety and need to control the outer world. I
 resonate with this constant need to manage and balance feelings, as they are the main drivers toward the best ideas.
 Shutting down feelings, which we feel forced to do when dealing with business people, can be counter-productive. We
 stop getting ideas. Nevertheless, it is crucial for mental stability to learn emotional management.



Some of the best artists throughout history are known for their mood swings and difficult lives. Creativity often
 goes hand in hand with emotional challenges, in my experience, and Melissa certainly seems to fit this category. Her
 courage to transform this sensitivity into her superpower is inspiring, and I feel it comes from a very authentic
 place.



<hr class="vertical-space1">




<figure><img decoding="async" width="600" height="490" alt="" class="lazyload has-img-center"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/kindred_spirits5_a2840f81ae.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T11:34:54.168Z">
</figure>




<hr class="vertical-space1">



We bond very nicely on a personal level, sharing an intuitive and creative approach to life and entrepreneurship. But
 in meditation with her, it becomes clear that she is more – a kindred spirit. A deep sense of knowing is present in
 our three 30-minute meditations, and I find myself smiling many times. It feels the same as when I am at a concert;
 the power of the collective, sharing deep feelings, coming through one individual.



It’s fascinating how one individual can channel something and impact the masses, like she does with her toys and her
 new company, Lifelines.



Why am I sharing this rather intimate space of meditation in an article? Because I feel the purpose of Melissa
 Bernstein is to inspire people to be exactly who they are. She courageously allows us into her innermost vulnerable
 place, and shows us how transforming darkness can make us come out stronger. It’s priceless and honorable, and
 profoundly needed in today’s world, where young people suffer from FOMO and low self-esteem. With Social Media, we
 brand ourselves, artificially, through the filters of so-called beauty.



Melissa unlocks creative potential in me, and transforms it into dynamic and balanced new energy. She engages in my
 journey, her thinking is free and expansive, and she keeps reminding me about the crucial need to be truthful to
 myself and my values. Always.



I pray, sending out the intention that more and more people in this suffering world will follow the example of
 Melissa, unlocking their inner and most truthful creative potential in order to co-create a wonderful world, where
 kindred spirits meet and meditate together.



Thank you, Melissa, for your ability to show us how to transform darkness into creativity. You make me feel like
 showing up as the best version of myself, where I create from the full potential within.


<hr>
<h4 class="has-text-align-center">Illustrations by ARATI SHEDDE</h4>
<hr>

Meeting Melissa: transforming darkness into creativity

<h2 style="text-align:center;">A Regenerative Leadership Journal</h2><h4 style="text-align:justify;">EMILIE MOGENSEN brings natural processes to her workplace and reflects upon how they impact the start of a new project for her business. As a regenerative leader and practitioner of planetary design thinking, Emilie is deeply committed to advancing education that integrates inner and outer development. Here we see it in action.</h4>Mid-January, deep in winter’s embrace, I find myself reflecting on the beauty of starting something new during this season. Winter, with its quiet hibernation energy, invites us to slow down, to reflect, and to prepare for what is yet to come. Just as nature gathers its strength beneath the surface, this time of stillness allows us to nurture the roots of new potential and relationships, readying them for the blossoming energy of spring.As I connect with new collaborators and deepen bonds with others on this journey, I’m reminded of the profound wisdom in honoring the rhythms of the seasons. Winter’s quiet guidance teaches us that not every step needs to be loud or immediate—sometimes the most important work happens in the unseen, where authenticity and <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/kindness-is-key-to-resilience-part-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">resilience</a> quietly take shape.Imagine a world where no one felt compelled to search for the “perfect” idea or persona, but instead showed up wholly themselves—with their unique skills, vulnerabilities, and perspectives. This is the heart of regenerative leadership. It’s about honoring our differences, not as obstacles to overcome, but as essential elements of <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/a-diy-guide-to-wellbeing" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">resilience</a>. By seeking out and celebrating this diversity, we cultivate transparency, clarity, and trust, creating an ecosystem where every contributor feels valued, seen, and necessary.This approach has profoundly transformed me as a leader. In my previous work, I often bore the weight of performance pressure, the need to control every detail, and the drive to meet external expectations. Now, my role is not to control or dictate but to sense into what is emerging and serve it with presence and care. Leading this way is about creating space—space for others to shine, for potential to evolve naturally, and for collective wisdom to guide our actions.The result? A community where everyone matters, where each person’s contribution shapes our shared success. And for me, it means freedom—freedom from the toxic cycles of stress and control, replaced by the profound joy of witnessing growth, connection, and purpose in action.This journey is teaching me that leadership is not about having all the answers but about holding space for new potential to emerge. As the season shifts and spring’s energy beckons, I look forward to seeing what will grow from the seeds we are planting now. This is the essence of a regenerative way of leading, living, and learning together.<img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/regenerative_leadership2_d61b5987ef.webp" alt="regenerative-leadership2.webp"><hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">It’s about honoring our differences, not as obstacles to overcome,&nbsp; but as essential elements of resilience.</h4><hr>

Home› Contributors

Eilish Butler

Elaine K. Williams

Eleanor Roosevelt

Eleanor Roosevelt

Elisabeth Bouderlique and Birgit Dürr

Elisabeth Hower

Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

Elizabeth Crichton

Elizabeth Denley

Elizabeth Gilbert

Elizabeth Kapu’uwailani Lindsey

Emilie Mogensen