Beryl Amurugat Favour

<h4
 id="h-beryl-amurugat-favour-is-a-student-from-nairobi-kenya-her-heartbreaking-and-at-the-same-time-uplifting-story-is-an-inspiration-and-testament-to-the-power-of-kindness-this-story-won-beryl-second-prize-for-school-students-in-the-heartfulness-international-essay-competition-2021"
 >
 BERYL AMURUGAT FAVOUR
 is a student from Nairobi, Kenya. Her heartbreaking and at the same
 time uplifting story is an inspiration and testament to the power of
 kindness. This story won Beryl second prize for school students in the
 Heartfulness International Essay Competition 2021.
 </h4>

 <hr class="vertical-space1" />

 
 Looking down on a blank page is like staring at an empty plate after
 sleeping hungry for almost three days. I have always had an ambition of
 being a writer and sitting here right now gives me a feeling of a dream
 come true. But all of this would just be a dream if it was not for the
 kindness of one great woman who was brought to my life by my constant
 cries and prayers. When people hear of kindness, the first thing that
 comes to their mind is a life-changing experience. And I would not have
 believed all this if life had not shown me that the voice of an African
 child can be heard.
 

 
 I was born in a village in the outskirts of Kenya near the great Lake
 Victoria. My mom was a housewife while my dad worked in a tobacco
 factory. He was a drunk and very abusive. My three siblings and I never
 experienced real happiness, and from day one I was always reminded that
 as a girl I had no chances of succeeding. I had an interest in writing
 from the age of ten but I had no hope of my dreams ever coming true.
 

 
 My world finally crumbled when I was fifteen, a teenager who had just
 finished primary education. My siblings and I woke up to a broken
 family. My mom, tired of all the mistreatment, had killed our father. I
 don’t know why, but I remember not even crying. My mom was arrested. The
 law said it had everything under control, but what did they even mean by
 that? Where were they when my mom’s screams were being heard? Where were
 they when he kept on lashing her?
 

 
 Seeing my mom going was the start of a life not explainable by words. My
 siblings and I were taken to different orphanages. I landed up in an
 orphanage known as the “Home of the Motherless.” It was owned by the
 government and was full to the brim. We shared everything, and we even
 lacked space to sleep. I was not able to see my siblings and no one told
 me about my mother. I spent days crying myself to sleep, and apparently
 that is the only way you can sleep on an empty stomach. Days turned to
 weeks and months, and I finally lost all hope of seeing my mother or
 siblings. Even the hope of finishing school and becoming a writer was
 lost.
 

 
 One fateful day, a few people came to view the orphanage. They were
 donors who were sent by a group to help the children in the orphanage.
 There was one woman who told us here name, she looked kind, and I liked
 her from the word go. Looking into her eyes, I could see my restored
 happiness. She walked toward me and asked for my age and name. I
 politely answered her, she asked for my story, and I told her.
 

 
 She was touched, and there and then she told me how I looked like her
 daughter who had passed away. She asked about school and my dreams, and
 I told her everything. She offered to help me, and since then I have
 never experienced lack. I have realized the true meaning of having a
 guardian angel. Thanks to her I am able to go to school and achieve my
 dreams. She helped me start afresh from a situation that most people are
 not able to recover from, domestic violence. I am able to visit my mom
 in jail, see my siblings, and even have the heart to forgive my father.
 I want to be able to help an African child one day and be a successful
 writer, and I believe with every kind heart comes a dream that can be
 fulfilled. Right there is the voice of an African child.
 

 <hr class="vertical-space1" />

Voice of an African child

Bhamini is an artist based out of Hyderabad, originally from Bihar. She is passionate about speaking up for causes like women empowerment, equality and mental health through her artwork. With a decade of experience in Madhubani Painting and Abstract Expressionism, she believes that art is a form of therapy that helps not only express and teach the art of perseverance and discipline but also acts as meditation to enhance patience and concentration.


bhamini.jpg

Bhamini Shree

<hr class="vertical-space1">
<h3 style="text-align: center;">ART ESSAY</h3>
<hr class="vertical-space1">
<h4 style="text-align: left;">In this delightful interview and art essay, BHAMINI
 SHREE shares her journey of expression through painting with MEGHANA
 ANAND. Through art, gradually she was able to manage her depression, expand her selfexpression, and also
 develop her art as a career. In part 2, Bhamini tells us more about Madhubani Folk Art.</h4>

<hr class="vertical-space1">

MA: Can you share with us something about the history and
 origin of Madhubani art?
BS: Madhubani is a place in the north-eastern part
 of India, in Bihar, in the Mithilanchal area. It is the birth place of Sita, the wife of Lord Ram. This form of
 painting was started by the country women of Madhubani, and the entire culture is called Mithila culture. They started
 using natural pigments, like pollen, turmeric, cow dung, or indigo to make patterns on the walls of their homes, which
 were around the celebration of life and marriage.
Since Mithilanchal is considered to be the birth place or mother’s home of Sita, they
 celebrate it in that way. And also the fact that Sita is a woman. In Madhubani, a lot many forms are related to the
 Tantric form of painting depicting the goddess Durga, Kali, or Ardhanarishwar [half man-half woman],
 reflecting the locals’ joy and pride that these female deities have taken birth in their place.
<hr class="vertical-space1">
<img class="lazyload has-img-center"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/expressions2_2_6b3be7441c.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-05T12:39:02.775Z">

<hr class="vertical-space1">
Madhubani is also about the celebration of marriage. There is something called
 kohbar, which is a small room that is painted and decorated – the entire walls are decorated at the time of a
 wedding – and this room is given to the newly-wedded couple for consummating their marriage. So, all the elements that
 are used in these paintings are about nature, fertility, the celebration of love, the navagrahas [the nine
 planets] out there – everything auspicious. The fish, the turtle, the peacock, the parrot, everything that is
 auspicious is celebrated.

So it’s is about fertility, and the celebration of life and marriage. That’s how it
 started.
MA: What are the media used in Madhubani art?
BS: Traditionally, the colors used in Madhubani
 paintings were all natural pigments. For example, natural indigo for blue; turmeric for yellow; natural flowers for
 red; leaves for green; and a mixture of soot and cow dung for black. They would paint with these colors on the walls.

Nowadays we usually paint on fabric or paper. On paper we mostly use acrylic colors. On
 cotton cloth, we use fabric color. And those who feel they can afford to give proper time to their art usually use
 bamboo sticks in place of brushes.
Bamboo sticks are used because they are thin and lightweight, and they give a lot of
 precision in the art. That’s how it’s done traditionally, but if we’re short on time we use whatever we want. There is
 no hard-and-fast rule. Whatever suits, you use.
MA: What is the
 significance of geometric symbols in Madhubani art?
BS: The women who started Madhubani painting were
 mostly illiterate, and they did not have means to improve their painting skills. So the patterns they drew were mostly
 naïve at that time. They would stick to circular or rectangular patterns while making images. If they were painting
 the moon, they would paint a semicircle; and if they were painting the sun, they would paint a full circle. That is
 how they would distinguish.
These geometric patterns are nothing but the elements of nature. So every element is
 drawn in a particular way. With little modifications you can play around with the pattern, but it’s more or less made
 in a certain way.
<hr class="vertical-space1">


 <img width="834" class="lazyload w-100"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/expressions2_2_6b3be7441c.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-05T12:39:02.775Z " />


<hr class="vertical-space1">
MA: Tell us about your workshops.
BS: My workshops are open to everyone who wants to
 attend. I try to teach the essence of Madhubani painting, and show the participants how they can devise their own
 patterns. Once they know the basics, and the elements that distinguish this form of painting from others, the art is
 not difficult. Since this form of art is about nature, I explain to them how it is related. Once they understand the
 scope, they can make their own paintings. They don’t have to copy existing paintings on the Internet.
MA: What is the current status of folk art in India, and
 what is its scope in the future?
BS: To my understanding, even though we have some
 really good artists, they are not able to reach the market in the right way. Now that a lot of NGOs have come up, they
 are starting to bridge the artists with the market, but it is still a rare thing to see. Say there are 100 artists,
 perhaps 10 of them are able to get in touch with NGOs, the market people or mediators. The remaining 90 are left out,
 most of whom are women. Women are really good at folk painting, and they are not able to reach the market.
The other aspect is that folk art is mostly handmade, and people need to understand that
 it is exclusive and so it is expensive. In India we also have this mindset of bargaining: We are happy to buy an
 online print at a lower price than the original.
But the possibilities are great. The international market recognizes the folk art of
 India more than the locals do. That’s the irony. The kind of scope and demand there is for Madhubani painting in the
 international market is not here in our own country. To me that is quite disappointing. You cannot put a tag on art,
 for someone has put their heart, soul and mind into it.
MA: Yes, that’s true. So what does art truly mean to
 you?
BS: Well, I call my art “Pouli,” which
 means “bird” in Greek. I honestly believe that art is like a bird – it knows no limit. It doesn’t know how to settle
 down, it flies. You can’t stop a bird from flying, and you can’t stop an artist from expressing. And that’s what art
 is about – expression. Expression of our subconscious, expression of our aspirations, which cannot be put under a
 ceiling.
In my opinion, art is about whatever comes to your mind; you say that, you express that.
 It could be anything – your fragility, your vulnerability, or even your sensuality for that matter. People may call it
 erotic or pornography, but it’s not. Art is not pornography, it’s different. Art is expression; art is not
 objectification.
Everything that comes to your mind is expressed in a beautiful way. You don’t have to
 use a word and it’s already expressed. Be it rage, be it anger, be it frustration, you can express it. It’s like a
 bird that can fly wherever it wants to. Nobody can stop it, as it has wings. And this is why I call my art
 “Pouli.”
<hr class="vertical-space1">
<img class="lazyload has-img-center"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/expressions2_4_ad11fbe354.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-05T12:45:10.436Z" />

<hr class="vertical-space1">
MA: Lovely! Finally, what tips would you like to share
 with the youth of today, or anyone for that matter, who are looking to follow their heart’s aspirations?
BS: Before you think what is good, right or wrong
 for you, it’s important that you analyze yourself. If you have a false belief that, “I can do this, and I can do that
 also,” the first thing to do is to burst the bubble. You have to know what you can really do, and if you would like to
 do this for the rest of your life.
So, ideally, the first thing is to talk to mentors, to understand the opportunities out
 there. And mentors need not necessarily be your teachers, or elder siblings, or somebody you already know. Look out
 for somebody who really inspires you in the truest manner. They are mentors. Talk to them, talk about your
 insecurities, talk about what you want to do in life, your aspirations, and take insights from them.
The second thing is to introspect. Introspection plays a very important part. Sit and be
 true to yourself. For example, if you are preparing for your IIT exams and you think this is not what you want to do,
 you also need to think what you are good at. And if you don’t know that, you need to start exploring. And for you to
 explore, you need to do 10,000 other things to know what you are good at.
The same thing applies to art also. If you think you want to be a portrait artist, maybe
 you can’t be a landscape artist at the same time. But it’s also not necessary that you have to choose only one stream.
 So the best thing is to try your hand at various media and experiment.
It’s important to see where your heart truly lies. And at the same time, you need to
 consider if you are able to sustain yourself with whatever you choose to do in life. Be practical also.
MA: Thank you, Bhamini, for this enlightening
 conversation. I wish you all the very best in your heart’s endeavors.
BS: Thank you very much.
<hr class="vertical-space1">
Website – <a href="https://www.bhaminishree.com/" target="_blank"
 rel="noopener noreferrer">www.bhaminishree.com</a> 
 Instagram –<a href="https://www.instagram.com/bhamini_shree/" target="_blank"
 rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.instagram.com/bhamini_shree/</a>
<hr class="vertical-space1">


<hr>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">Interviewed by MEGHANA ANAND 
 Art by BHAMINI SHREE</h4>


<hr>

Expressions - part 2

Bharath Krishna is an ongoing contributor to the Heartfulness Magazine. His photographic work is featured on the cover of Issue 2. Krishna started his academic career as an Engineering student, but life led him to a Master’s degree in Photography, and a deep love for capturing the whispered moments. See more of his work at: www.bharathkrishna.com


bharath-krishna-img.jpg

Bharath Krishna

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


 In the South of India is a place steeped in the mythology of one of
 the greatest epic tales known to humanity, the Ramayana. In this tale,
 Lord Ram rescues his chaste and pure wife Sita from the clutches of
 the dark lord Ravana of Lanka, and to do so he and his band of heroes
 build the famous bridge from the Indian mainland through the island of
 Rameswaram to Lanka.


 Legend has it that, after killing Ravana and returning to Rameswaram
 with Sita, he worshipped Lord Shiva, and a temple was built around
 this spot. It is a site of pilgrimage for devotees from around the
 world. The site is also considered sacred because of the confluence of
 the waters of the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean.


 In July 2015, BHARATH KRISHNA visited this unique place. He shares
 with us his impressions of the beauty, the devastation and the history
 of the region. Seeing his photos, there is a definite feeling that
 this place has never really recovered from that epic battle.


 <img class="lazyload w-100"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/the_bridge_img1_a2017024a9.jpg?updated_at=2023-03-30T05:25:12.416Z" />


 For many years I have wanted to come here, as it is near my parents’
 place. I had seen pictures of the immense bridges from the mainland to
 the island, but coming here is a different experience. I am impressed by
 the power of Nature. It is so windy. The wind on the Indira Gandhi
 Bridge can knock you off if you don’t hold tightly to the handrail.


 <img class="lazyload w-100"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/the_bridge_img2_4a5162b81d.jpg?updated_at=2023-03-30T05:29:24.621Z" /> 
 It is also a surreal experience with the calm waters of the Bay of
 Bengal on one side and the turbulent waves of the Indian Ocean on the
 other.


 <img class="lazyload w-100"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/the_bridge_img3_a390a85119.jpg?updated_at=2023-03-30T05:30:27.703Z" />Dhanushkodi
 was a thriving trading centre at the southern tip of the
 island until a cyclone in 1964 destroyed the town. At one time the train
 went right to the end of the island, but now Dhanushkodi can only be
 reached by 4-wheel drive, minivan, or by foot.


 I walked all the way to Dhanushkodi, and it was like a dark journey with
 eagles flying around the ruins of old boats and thorny shrubs that are
 dotted across the hard, dry, desolate, sandy ground.


 <img class="lazyload w-100"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/the_bridge_img4_31c7574a43.jpg?updated_at=2023-03-30T05:31:37.879Z" />


 <img class="lazyload img-float-left has-img-center-in-mobile"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/the_bridge5_888c3cbeaf.jpg?updated_at=2023-03-30T05:32:30.257Z" />The
 locals tell stories with tears in their eyes of the devastation of
 the 1964 cyclone. Today there is still no electricity in Dhanushkodi. In
 the evening, the children of the hundred or so families who still live
 there walk the three kilometres back across the island to their village
 at the narrow tip.


 The town itself is also full of ruins – the old police station, the
 houses and the shops that now are only full of old memories. There is
 also the ruin of a church that was built only from shells for this
 predominantly Christian community.


 Still, Nature is beautiful here, and the pristine clear waters of the
 Bay of Bengal are also home to large rock-like sponges that are strewn
 all over the sand. The locals tell that during Lord Ram’s time, these
 ‘stones’ floated after they wrote his name on each one and were thus
 used to create the famous bridge to Lanka.

<hr />
<h4 style="text-align: center">Photo essay of BHARATH KRISHNA</h4>
<hr />

THE BRIDGE

<h4>BHARATH KRISHNA is a photographer who loves to capture places and people. Here he celebrates the simple lifestyle of the people of the Rajasthani desert in India.</h4>This is the village of Khuri, near Jaisalmer in Rajasthan. It is surrounded by desert and barren land. Peacocks and antelopes run wild. As a photographer, what attracts me are the stunning sunsets in the desert. In Khuri there are no streetlights, so people rise as soon as the sunlight appears in the sky. From dawn, women and children walk about six hundred meters to the nearest well to fetch water for the day.&nbsp;<img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/the_art_of_simple_living_img_1_886ed12184.jpg?updated_at=2023-03-30T13:56:18.020Z">The village is known for its safety. People live in a very simple way, with few resources, and they are openhearted, welcoming, and smiling. I ask some children if I can photograph them, so they take me inside their house and introduce me to their grandmother, who offers me a drink and something to eat. Whatever little they have, they are so happy to share. Every family has domestic animals – camels, cows, dogs, and goats. They respect and care for their animals as if they are part of the family, with no sense of exploiting them. There is only one vegetable that grows in this region, so meals comprise mainly this vegetable and chappatis. I am surprised that nobody is looking for money, trying to sell something or take me somewhere in order to make money. They just go about their simple lifestyle, happy to help with no expectations.The men work in the camel safaris and rent their camels for heavy transport. The village has a couple of small shops offering very basic groceries and stationery.&nbsp;<img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/the_art_of_simple_living_img_2_8e32f39307.jpg?updated_at=2023-03-30T13:55:44.948Z">Children go to a nearby government school, so their basic educational needs are met. When they return in the evening, they play games on the streets with wooden sticks and stones and also help take the animals for grazing and drinking water. Though people from all over the world visit the vicinity, the customs and lifestyle of the Khuri villagers seem untouched. For me, this trip to the desert was much more than photography; it was an amazing life experience.&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Article and photography by BHARATH KRISHNA</h4><hr>

The art of simple living

<hr class="vertical-space1">
The Ganges runs calmly, a lifeline for so many people in so many ways. Though it is early morning, the atmosphere is
 chaotic, activity on every stretch of the riverbank.
<img decoding="async"
 class="lazyload w-100"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/varanasi_photo2_b7ba41cb39.jpg">
This is the iconic place where Lord Shiva is said to have put his wife Parvathi to rest. Since that time of lore,
 devoted Indians have made the journey to send their loved ones to liberation, to the freedom from the countless
 cycle of birth and rebirth.
<img decoding="async" width="214"
 class="lazyload img-float-left has-img-center-in-mobile" style="width: 214px !important;"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/varanasi_photo3_1e2b146de6.jpg">
They say the flame from that first fire has been preserved. The funeral flames are still lit from that same source,
 maintained in a small cave from generation to generation. The intense longing for the safe passage to the life
 beyond, and the fulfilment of duty, both hang in the air.
As I walk down the stretch of dozens of ghats – among small groupings of hotels, temples and cottages – every few
 metres something new is happening. Individuals are taking dips in the river for purification. Further down, boats
 float out into the midst of the river. Beyond, children splash in their swimming classes, people send out floating
 diyas for their loved ones, buffaloes bathe and the slopping sounds of clothes being washed compete with
 saffron-robed sadhus murmuring blessings.
<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>

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<hr>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">Photo Essay by BHARATH KRISHNA</h4>


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Varanasi - purity in chaos

Professor Rao is Dean, Schools of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapitham University, and the UNESCO Chair in Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equality, Amritapuri. Her work focuses on technology-based training, leading to inclusive development of under-served communities, especially women in rural India.&nbsp;

bhavani-rao.webp

Bhavani Rao

<h4 style="text-align:justify;">At the 2024 Global Spirituality Mahotsav at Kanha Shanti Vanam, Professor BHAVANI RAO, Dean at Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University, draws from the life of her mentor, Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, known to many as Amma, to highlight how we can integrate spirituality into daily life.</h4>&nbsp;When thinking about how spirituality and life coincide, I believe what I have learned from my mentor, Amma, that spirituality and life are inseparable. They are two sides of the same coin.It is her belief that spirituality begins and ends with compassion. According to the principles of Sanatana Dharma, we know that creation and the creator are not two but one. The creation is verily the manifest form of the creator. We can love and serve all by seeing the creator in all of creation. Not to serve others, and to serve only oneself, is not life but death. Therefore, to have love and compassion is the quintessential way forward to integrating spirituality into life.And how do we do that? I can share with you the philosophy we have at Amrita University, our twofold approach to education: education for a living and education for life. Now, you guess the difference between the two. Education for a living is the kind of education that helps you earn your bread and butter, puts a roof over your head, clothes on your body, maybe a vehicle to drive. Education for life is compassion, love, kindness, and all the other qualities that guide your way of being.Amma also believes that there are two kinds of poverty. One is the lack of food, clothing, and shelter. The second is the lack of love and compassion. She says if you address the second kind of poverty first, you automatically eliminate the first kind of poverty. If you have love and compassion, you will serve those who do not have food, clothing, and shelter.We can understand this in the context of a sutra from our tradition. Sloka 659 from the Lalitha Sahasranamam talks about Devi, the divine goddess, and extols her as “Om Iccha Shakti Jnana Shakti Kriya Shakti, Swaroopiniye Namaha.” What does that mean? Simply, it can be understood in three parts-Iccha Shakti, Jnana Shakti and Kriya Shakti.<h4 style="text-align:justify;">The power of intention</h4>The first is Iccha Shakti, the power behind motivation. What makes us act? What is at the depth of our intention? It has to be motivated by compassion. There is a story from Amma’s life when she was a young girl. She was born into a fishing community. In that community, it was taboo and completely against the culture for girls to be involved with or even touch the boats that go to the sea. One day, Amma found an old lady sitting and weeping. She couldn’t get across the backwaters to prepare food for her family as the boatman was nowhere to be seen.Seeing this elderly woman in despair, alone at the water’s edge, Amma was moved to action by compassion. She picked up the long pole used to move the boat across the water, and though she had never commandeered a boat in her life, persuaded the old woman to let her take her across. They managed to reach with a lot of effort and bravery from the little girl, who had never done such a thing before. Of course she was applauded by some onlookers, but she also received a nice beating from her mother for her daring. In the end, however, it did not matter for she was not motivated by rebellion, activism, or a wish to rewrite the social norms. She was motivated by compassion.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/spirituality_inaction2_27e1ab20fb.webp" alt="spirituality-inaction2.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_spirituality_inaction2_27e1ab20fb.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_spirituality_inaction2_27e1ab20fb.webp 500w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/spirituality_inaction2_27e1ab20fb.webp 500w," sizes="100vw"></figure><h4 style="text-align:justify;">The power of knowledge</h4>The second is Jnana Shakti, the power of knowledge. What kind of knowledge am I talking about? There are two kinds of knowledge: one is scientific, factual, data-driven, while the second kind comes from compassion. It’s that empathetic knowledge of understanding the needs of people, to understand a situation below the surface, through compassion and empathy.An example happened when the 2004 tsunamis struck our ashram, and over a 100,000 people on that strip of land were dislocated. Their homes were washed away, their livelihoods destroyed. After evacuating nearly 25,000 people, the first thing Amma did was make sure there was hot chai available for everyone. Why chai? Fundamentally, it is an unspoken source of comfort, something that gives a sense of grounding. The second thing she did was to make sure that food was prepared to their taste. These were people of a fishing community, who were used to eating fish. We don’t cook fish ourselves, but the food had to match the taste of the local people. That empathizes with people’s needs. Small acts, micro-acts of kindness fueled by the knowledge that comes from an empathetic understanding of others.<h4 style="text-align:justify;">The power of action</h4>The third is Kriya Shakti, the power of action. It should be altruistic, possessing nishkam karma, as explained in the Bhagavad Gita. It is the condition in which you do not expect results from your actions. This is super critical! Have the energy to continue and carry through with your action, all the while making sure that it is not tainted by the wrong kind of motivation; compassion has no other motivation than its own.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">The respect and the reverence to see Divinity&nbsp; in everything will instill the self-control&nbsp; that we need to make sure all our actions are respectful,&nbsp; that they do not pollute, and that we never perpetuate&nbsp; any kind of inequality or oppression.</h4><hr><h4 style="text-align:justify;">The power of awareness</h4>One last power I want to highlight is Shraddha (awareness). Essentially, it means to be mindful of resource efficiency, and always respectful. The respect and the reverence to see Divinity in everything will instill the self-control that we need to make sure all our actions are respectful, that they do not pollute, and that we never perpetuate any kind of inequality or oppression.In a sense, it is the most fundamental value we can define within Sanatana Dharma, the value of respect and reverence.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/spirituality_inaction3_7a16dce15e.webp" alt="spirituality-inaction3.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_spirituality_inaction3_7a16dce15e.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_spirituality_inaction3_7a16dce15e.webp 500w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/spirituality_inaction3_7a16dce15e.webp 500w," sizes="100vw"></figure><hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">AI generated illustrations</h4><hr>

Spirituality in action

Bhavna is a professor at Bangkok School of Management, a writer and editor, ECA coach with Beyond Books for International Schools,&nbsp;co-leader of the Bangkok Women Writers Group, a coach with TaskHuman, Reiki Master,&nbsp;and consultant to the Advisory Board of WhatAbook Publishing House Kolkata, India.

Bhavna Khemlani.jpg

Bhavna Khemlani

<h4 style="text-align:justify;">BHAVNA KHEMLANI is a lecturer at the Bangkok School of Management, a wellness coach, and the co-leader of the Bangkok Women’s Writers Group. Here, Bhavna writes about her inspiring experience of cleaning up the garbage in the city that is her home.</h4>&nbsp;We are here for that glamping trip so we can pick up the pieces other people leave behind. Many people call us garbage collectors. We call ourselves “<a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/three-priorities-for-environmental-healing" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Environmental Poets</a>.”In a world where concrete towers overshadow nature’s whispers, we gather in a hidden grove, our words a shield against the encroaching tide of consumerism. Our verses are seeds, planted in the hearts of those who listen, hoping to spark a revolution of conscious choices.As we embark on this new government-assigned project, footsteps crunching over scattered debris, crackling plastics protest our intrusion. The clinks and clanks of metal cans and glass bottles mingle with the rustling of paper and the squelching of <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/being-eco-friendly" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">organic waste</a>, creating a chorus of chaos that echoes through the beach.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/seven_of_us2_904ad9938d.webp" alt="seven-of-us2.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_seven_of_us2_904ad9938d.webp 245w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/small_seven_of_us2_904ad9938d.webp 500w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/medium_seven_of_us2_904ad9938d.webp 750w," sizes="100vw"></figure>Clink clank Clink clank Crunch crunch Crunch crunchCrow cawing, ‘AWW! AWW! AWW! AWW!’We are seven. There sure is a lot of noise. Noise of crackling plastics, breezy wind, hooting for us, and varied fabrics left behind weeping the hard works from sweatshops. We decide to take a break from collecting.The clatter of tent poles being assembled, the rustle of recycled tarps being spread out, and the boisterous banter among our group fills the air blending with the distant hum of motorboats. Volunteering to collect fallen branches for a grove bonfire, armed with trash bags, we split into teams.Later, gathered around the crackling bonfire, our faces light by its warm glow.Amidst the ancient trees, we take our pens dancing like leaves in the wind, crafting lines that flow like rivers of thought. Emotions swirl like storms within them, a tempest of concern for the Earth’s fragile balance. We write of oceans choking on plastic, of forests felled by greed, and of a planet yearning for healing.As we write, our words become a lyrical parody with similes, each comparison a thread connecting human actions to the rhythms of nature. Plastic waste is a suffocating serpent, coiling around the Earth’s throat. Deforestation is a symphony silenced; a heart-rending melody lost to the wind. While we collectors accept a new project to go to the beach and grove.We sing We cook We writeOur green boots Crunch crunch Thump thump<figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/seven_of_us4_ca15d2061e.webp" alt="seven-of-us4.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_seven_of_us4_ca15d2061e.webp 122w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/small_seven_of_us4_ca15d2061e.webp 392w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/medium_seven_of_us4_ca15d2061e.webp 587w," sizes="100vw"></figure>But amidst the somber notes, a glimmer of hope emerges. Our poetry celebrates the sustaining resources that might yet be nurtured. There is the noise of emerging hope. The noise of our collective thoughts. The noise of people like us who gather to pick up what others leave behind. The noise speaks of solar panels like sunflowers, turning their faces to the light. Wind turbines, like modern-day wind chimes, and sing songs.And then, as the sun begins to dip beneath the horizon, an aroma wafts through the grove. Thai basil and lemongrass mingle in the air; a fragrant reminder of sustenance found in mindful consumption. A feast, crafted from locally sourced ingredients, awaits us.We gather around a wooden table adorned with dishes as vibrant as our verses. Pad Thai, a tangle of colors and flavors, speaks of diversity and unity. Tom Kha Gai, a harmonious blend of coconut and herbs, whispers of balance. Each bite is a pledge, a declaration of allegiance to the Earth’s well-being.We seven environmental poets travel around the country to embrace the difference between clutter, declutter, and waste. Hoarding is a new age disease, and recycling, reprogramming, and restoring is the cure for every age. Its insidious whispers slither like an anaconda in the shadows, hiss its demands for more, the gulp of possessions swallowed whole, followed by another insatiable hiss, craving yet another acquisition to satisfy its voracious appetite.Hiss hiss hiss Gulp gulp gulp Hiss hiss hiss Gulp gulp gulpBellies full and hearts alight, we return to our pens the next day, ready to take on the world with our arsenal of poetry and purpose. The grove echoes with our verses, a chorus of hope and determination. And as we write, we know that our words, like seeds, will take root in the minds of those who listen, inspiring a movement that could change the course of the little ants.The red ants and rats are very much aligned in their teamwork. They’ve had enough rations that will last a long time, so they make a lot of noise.They scurry with a synchronized frenzy, their tiny feet tapping a staccato rhythm against the wood. Each movement is accompanied by the soft rustle of leaves disturbed and the faint clicking of mandibles as they work in unison through a series of subtle chirps and continuous clicks that reverberate through the grove.Click click click Click click clickThe rats, equally industrious in their endeavors, add their own contribution to the cacophony, their gnawing and scratching creating a background melody of determination.Chomp chomp chomp— grind grind grind Chomp chomp chomp— grind grind grindThe urban jungle’s concrete embrace, a tiny oasis of green unfurls its rustling leaves. A garden, a sanctuary, where nature’s heartbeat pulses in vibrant hues. Jasmine tendrils reach for the sky like ballet dancers frozen, mid-pirouette, their fragrant breath mingling with the city’s symphony. Did we actually take a pause to understand how the cities became a suction pipe to consumerism and technology?Behind the jasmine tendrils we set to work with shovels in hand. The rhythmic clatter of metal meeting earth fills the air. Each scoop sends a shower of debris cascading down, accompanied by the dull thud of soil hitting the ground. The metal blades bite into the dirt with resolute determination, their sharp edges slicing through layers of neglect and decay. The shovels lift and deposit their loads into a waiting wheelbarrow. The sound of gloves adds a contrasting note with the soft swish of rubber. Hands clad in protective gloves work tirelessly to sift through the dirt and waste.Clatter clatter clatter Thud thud thud Swish swish swishStorytelling is different these days. We tell stories to sell more. Beneath the emerald canopy, a solitary poet sits, her heart a canvas splashed with emotions as vivid as the flowers around her. With each stroke of her pen, verses bloom like wildflowers after a summer rain, capturing the essence of a world in flux. She is an empath. One of the wonders of the world.In the midst of her poetic reverie, a tantalizing aroma diffuses through the air. Thai basil, like a secret whispered by the wind, tickles her senses again. Her stomach responds with a symphony of anticipation, the flavors of Pad Thai and Tom Kha Gai dance in her mind like characters in a play and she looks at him. The second wonder of the world, the famous chef and farmer.<figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/seven_of_us5_7e8c965595.webp" alt="seven-of-us5.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_seven_of_us5_7e8c965595.webp 125w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/small_seven_of_us5_7e8c965595.webp 402w," sizes="100vw"></figure>A medium-sized food cart emerges like a mirage with screeching wheels, a burst of color against the green backdrop. The chef, a culinary artist, wields his wok like a magician’s wand, conjuring a feast that transcends mere sustenance. Flames leap, the wok sizzles, and aromas intermingle, creating a crescendo of flavors that harmonize with the poet’s verses. As the remaining five of us are watching, the empath poet wonders with compassion around the wok.As the first bite touches her lips, the very essence of the garden is captured in that morsel. The Pad Thai’s tangled noodles mirror the intertwining vines, each ingredient a note in a sensory symphony. The Tom Kha Gai, a delicate ballet of coconut and lemongrass, pirouettes on her tongue, evoking the garden’s whispers. She calls out to the teacher of gratitude. The other wonder of the world.Each of us pour forth our own essence and as we near sunset it is time to light the bonfire. So, the wonder of passion decides to take that responsibility with the wonder of care. We believe if we ignite our passion with care we can achieve so much, and it allows us to take each step at a time.As we clear the remaining garbage, we don’t let the soggy waste disturb our taste buds. We are very much in sync with the rustling banana leaves.We start to place banana leaves around the bonfire. There was some hay found so we place that as well. Then we gently place our towels around it. It is enough and quite comfortable for each of us to sit.I realize we are all here as a reminder of nature’s resilience. The wonder of love has natural flavors that paints a world alive with interconnected beauty. There is more noise to make!By now we have so many bags. Each movement elicits a sharp crinkle as the plastic materials shift and settle against one another. The rustle of paper and cardboard adds a softer undertone to the chorus, punctuated by the occasional clatter of glass. Together, these sounds create a different melody. The melody of garbage.&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Seven of us—empath, chef, compassion, gratitude, passion, care, and love plant seeds and pick up the pieces other people leave behind.</h4><hr>Crinkles, rustles, thuds Crinkles, rustles, thuds&nbsp; Clatter—clatter—clatterSeven of us—empath, chef, compassion, gratitude, passion, care, and love plant seeds and pick up the pieces other people leave behind.We garbage collectors know how to sing and write.Our glamping trip has not ended, yet.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Seven of us

The Venerable was a disciple of the Venerable Acharya Buddharakkhita Mahathera. In 1986, he founded the Mahabodhi International Meditation Centre (MIMC) in Ladakh. Since then he has worked to put loving kindness and compassion into action and MIMC is now one of the leading NGOs in India.&nbsp;

bhikkhu-sanghasena.webp

Bhikku Sanghasena

<h4 style="text-align:justify;">The Venerable BHIKKU SANGHASENA&nbsp;founded the Mahabodhi International Meditation Centre (MIMC) in Ladakh in 1986. Since then he has worked tirelessly and selflessly to put the Buddha's&nbsp;Teachings on loving kindness and compassion into action and now MIMC has become one of the leading NGOs in India. At the Global Spirituality Mahotsav, he challenged us all to walk the talk on peace and to balance our time and create space in our lives for peace and compassion.</h4>&nbsp;May all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, Devas and Nagas, Saints and Sages from all directions of the Universe kindly look at us and shower their blessings upon us for the success of our coming together in this beautiful place.Dear seekers of truth and lovers of peace, please accept my loving greetings. Also let me bring you the warmest greetings from the followers of Lord Buddha. Let me also bring you the warmest greetings from the coldest land of Ladakh in the high Himalayas.&nbsp;I will not take much time, but I have a lot to share. In modern times in a big city, you have expensive watches, but no time. In the Himalayas, we don’t have expensive watches, but we have time. If you are interested to listen more, welcome to the Himalayas, where we will sit leisurely without a watch—spending time without time.As we know, world peace begins in the mind. The harmonious world starts in the mind. Even the UNESCO constitution mentions that wars start in the human mind, therefore peace has to be established in the human mind. We need to think deeply on this topic.&nbsp;In the name of development, we may have too much time; too much for the material aspect of life, the physical aspect of life, money, technology. It is time to think of balancing the inner and outer, spirituality and materiality, science and religion, psychology and ecology, physics and metaphysics, meditation and medication. It is time to synthesize the polarities: if scientists meditate so they become spiritual scientists, it will bring a great blessing; and spiritual people, religious people need to be scientific, so that they avoid blind faith.What happened at the World Trade Centre in New York was a result of blind faith. And blind faith is more dangerous than bombs and guns. So Buddha and Einstein have to come together, work together. It is very sad to hear that more than 30,000 brilliant scientists are working day and night to improve our bombs and guns. This is a horrible thing. If these great scientists are guided by spiritual values, they will not&nbsp;misuse their knowledge for destructive purposes; they will use their knowledge to serve humanity.&nbsp;We are grateful to Western society for developing science and technology; it has brought a lot of comfort to the physical body. But, sorry to say, the West has failed miserably to bring peace to the world. Now it is time for the East. We now must train ourselves as messengers of peace, ambassadors of compassion, as Bodhisattvas to lead the world peacefully. We cannot remain spectators to the ongoing wars.&nbsp;Look at the Russia-Ukraine war. Thousands of people have been killed, including mothers and children. People have lost their homes and become refugees. Thousands of lives have been lost between the Palestinians and the Israelis. Each one of us has a responsibility to stand up, raise our voices, and join together.Those of us who talk about world peace must come together to do whatever we can. Wars are created by human beings, therefore they can be stopped by human beings. We cannot go on watching as if it’s on TV; it is real killing going on. So, I appeal to the young generation: don’t just think of passing exams, facing interviews, getting jobs, earning money, going shopping, and drinking Coca Cola and Pepsi.&nbsp;I wish you would stand up and think something higher, greater, wider than just seeking jobs for your survival. Millions of youth can become messengers of peace, and ambassadors of compassion, ready to lead this world. The real wealth of India is Vasudeva Kutumbakam (one humanity), Karuna (mercy), and Mithiri (friendship).&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/ambassodors_compassion2_12795ba38b.webp" alt="ambassodors-compassion2.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_ambassodors_compassion2_12795ba38b.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_ambassodors_compassion2_12795ba38b.webp 500w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/ambassodors_compassion2_12795ba38b.webp 500w," sizes="100vw"></figure><hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">I wish you would stand up and think something higher,&nbsp; greater,&nbsp;wider than just seeking jobs for your survival.&nbsp; Millions of youth can become messengers of peace,&nbsp; and ambassadors of compassion, ready to lead this world.</h4><hr>The world is going in a very dangerous way; therefore all of us here who take this seriously may take a vow from today onward that we are messengers of peace, ambassadors of compassion, and Bodhisattvas. Let us join together and pray for peace. Human life is precious, the world is beautiful.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Illustrations by LAKSHMI GADDAM</h4><hr>

Ambassadors for compassion

Bhushan Bhukte is a certified Yoga trainer with an M.A. in Human Consciousness & Yogic Science from Gurukula Kangri Vishwavidyalaya in Haridwar. Bhushan is a full-time trainer in the Heartfulness Yoga Academy. He is known for helping others with loving discipline and encouragement while keeping it fun.



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Bhushan Bhukte & Sangeeta Padmanabhan

<h4
 id="h-in-2022-india-will-be-celebrating-75-years-of-independence-and-it-is-the-tradition-in-india-to-offer-gifts-and-sweets-to-others-on-your-birthday-in-this-spirit-india-is-offering-the-world-this-beautiful-practice-of-surya-namaskar-a-salutation-to-the-sun-a-simple-and-deep-way-to-bring-physical-mental-emotional-and-spiritual-well-being-along-with-awareness-of-our-connections-with-nature">
 In 2022, India will be celebrating 75 years of Independence, and it is the
 tradition in India to offer gifts and sweets to others on your birthday. In
 this spirit, India is offering the world this beautiful practice of Surya
 Namaskar, a salutation to the Sun, a simple and deep way to bring physical,
 mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being, along with awareness of our
 connections with Nature.
 
</h4>

<h4
 id="h-the-heartfulness-yoga-academy-is-one-of-the-partner-organizations-spearheading-this-initiative-we-hope-you-will-join-us-from-the-first-of-january-2022-in-a-collective-effort-to-reach-750-million-surya-namaskars-to-register-for-the-event-and-learn-more-please-visit-www-75suryanamaskar-com">
 The
 HEARTFULNESS YOGA ACADEMY
 is one of the partner organizations spearheading this initiative. We hope
 you will join us from the first of January 2022 in a collective effort to
 reach 750 million Surya Namaskars. To register for the event and learn more,
 please visit
 <a href="http://www.75suryanamaskar.com">www.75suryanamaskar.com</a>.
</h4>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<h4 id="h-history">
 History
</h4>


 “Surya” is the Sanskrit word for Sun, and “Namaskar” means salutation or
 paying one’s respects. The Sun is the source of all life on Earth, and the
 practice of Surya Namaskar has been an expression of gratitude and reverence
 to the Sun, at least since Vedic times, and probably much earlier in most
 cultures around the world. The Sun has also symbolized spiritual
 consciousness.



 There are a multitude stories about the origin of Surya Namaskar. One of them
 is about Hanuman, the monkey god and great devotee of Lord Rama. It is said
 that Hanuman practiced the Sun salutation as an offering of gratitude to the
 Sun for accepting him as a disciple for thousands of years and helping him to
 develop wisdom. In more recent history, King Bhawanrao Shriniwasrao Pant
 Pratinidhi from Maharashtra was a practitioner of Yoga who did Surya Namaskar
 as part of his spiritual practice, and eventually integrated it into his Yoga
 routine. He popularized this tradition for physical, mental, emotional, and
 spiritual benefit. His form had ten steps, without the raised hands posture
 (Hasta Uttanasana), which was later added. Swami Sivananda, founder
 of the Divine Life Society, also played a role in merging Surya Namaskar into
 contemporary yogic practices. He was a medical doctor turned sannyasi, who
 wrote Yogic Home Exercises, which was published in 1939. His
 disciple, Swami Satyananda Saraswati, then set up the Bihar School of Yoga in
 1964, popularizing Surya Namaskar both in India and internationally. The
 Sivananda-Bihar style of Surya Namaskar is a twelve-step practice, including
 Hasta Uttanasana. In this and some other traditions, each step is
 associated with a mantra linked with the twelve names of the Sun God.



 Another very influential teacher of Yoga, T. Krishnamacharya (1888-1989), made
 the flowing movements of Surya Namaskar the basis of his Mysore style of Yoga.
 His students, K. Pattabhi Jois and B.K.S. Iyengar, both popularized these
 flowing movements between asanas, so in these schools of Yoga the twelve
 asanas are connected by jumping or stretching movements.


<h4 id="h-a-practice-for-physical-mental-emotional-and-spiritual-well-being">
 A practice for physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual
 well-being
</h4>


 Surya Namaskar is an effective way of loosening, stretching, massaging, and
 toning all the joints, muscles, and internal organs of the body. It is a very
 useful practice for a healthy active life, while also preparing for spiritual
 awakening and the resulting expansion of consciousness. Some consider is to be
 a complete spiritual practice, as it includes asanas, pranayama, mantra, and
 meditation.



 It starts and ends with the Pranam Asana, with the hands placed at the heart
 center in the prayer pose, making it a moving meditation. It is a humble
 salutation to the Sun (the light outside), and to the light within, the soul
 that resides in the heart. Each asana of the Surya Namaskar has a special
 significance.


<h4>
 Benefits
</h4>


 The benefits of Surya Namaskar are too many to enumerate, but here are some of
 them:


<ol type="1">
 <li>
 Energetic: Activates the Surya nadi (Pingala),
 enhancing the energy levels in the body.
 </li>
 <li>
 Cardio-respiratory: Improves cardio-respiratory function.
 Optimizes lung and respiratory function.
 </li>
 <li>
 Digestive: Stimulates and balances the digestive system,
 the abdominal muscles, and other internal organs.
 </li>
 <li>Immune: Boosts immunity and improves metabolism.</li>
 <li>
 Detox: The expansion and contraction of muscles move
 stagnant, impure blood, so that it can be filtered by the kidneys and
 re-oxygenated by the lungs.
 </li>
 <li>
 Cognitive: Improves and increases mental awareness by
 bringing fresh oxygenated blood to the brain. Enhances cognitive function.
 </li>
 <li>
 Weight Management: Done at a fast pace, it burns fat.
 </li>
 <li>
 Skeletal: Improves circulation to the spinal nerves, tones
 the muscular system, and stretches the articulations. Improves posture.
 </li>
 <li>
 Meditative: Slow and rhythmic movements and regular deep
 breathing create a meditative effect. Generates prana, which activates the
 subtle body.
 </li>
</ol>

<h4>
 Precautions
</h4>


 The following precautions are general. Please note that this practice
 should always be taken up under the guidance of an experienced Yoga
 instructor. Seek special guidance for appropriate modifications, if any of the
 following apply to you:


<ol type="1">
 <li>
 High blood pressure, coronary artery disease, and/or stroke, especially in
 its dynamic form. A slow version can be done under the guidance of a
 qualified Yoga teacher.
 </li>
 <li>Back pain, sciatica, or any spinal problems.</li>
 <li>
 During heavy or painful menstruation, and during pregnancy. Seek guidance
 from a Yoga teacher who is certified in prenatal Yoga.
 </li>
</ol>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

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 </figure>
</div>

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 <img decoding="async" width="700" height="389" alt="suryanamaskar2" class="lazyload has-img-center"
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 </figure>
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 </figure>
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 <img decoding="async" width="700" height="389" alt="suryanamaskar4_700x389_e5393256e6"
 class="lazyload has-img-center"
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 </figure>
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 <img decoding="async" width="700" height="389" alt="suryanamaskar5_700x389_1fd7c623b7"
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 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/suryanamaskar5_700x389_1fd7c623b7.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-09T05:36:55.912Z" />
 </figure>
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 <img decoding="async" width="700" height="389" alt="suryanamaskar6_700x389_62e17baaab"
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 </figure>
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 </figure>
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<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<h4>
 How to practice
</h4>


 Always listen to your body and don’t use undue force. There are various
 modifications of the Surya Namaskar, even a Chair yoga version. So, select a
 version which works for you.


Here are some general guidelines:

<ol type="1">
 <li>Do Surya Namaskar on an empty stomach.</li>
 <li>Keep your eyes open.</li>
 <li>
 Breathe normally at first, and once you are comfortable with the postures
 you can focus on your breathing. Don’t hold your breath. Breathe deeply and
 slowly, with long inhalations and exhalations.
 </li>
 <li>
 Don’t strain the body and don’t over stretch. Increase the intensity of the
 practice gradually, and with consistent practice your flexibility will
 improve.
 </li>
 <li>
 Smile while practicing – it will help you to avoid straining yourself.
 </li>
 <li>Let your movements be slow and gradual, avoiding any jerky movements.</li>
 <li>Don’t retain the final position for too long.</li>
 <li>
 Let your legs and knees remain straight and distribute your body weight
 evenly on both feet. Keep your knees soft.
 </li>
 <li>Pay special attention to your legs, waist, and neck.</li>
</ol>


 Each round generally takes two to three minutes to perform, depending on the
 speed and intensity of the practice. To learn more about Surya Namaskar,
 please visit our playlist of videos at
 <a href="https://hfn.link/75sn">https://hfn.link/75sn</a>, or contact us at
 <a href="mailto:yoga@heartfulness.org">yoga@heartfulness.org</a>. For general
 information about the Heartfulness Yoga Academy, go to
 <a href="http://www.heartfulness.org/yoga">www.heartfulness.org/yoga</a>.


<hr />

<h4>
 Useful references
</h4>


 Swami Satyananda Saraswati, 2015.
 Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha. Yoga Publication Trust, Bihar,
 India.



 <a
 href="https://yogainternational.com/article/view/the-ancient-origins-of-surya-namaskar-sun-salutation">https://yogainternational.com/article/view/the-ancient-origins-of-surya-namaskar-sun-salutation</a>



 <a
 href="https://www.yogajournal.com/poses/here-comes-the-sun/">https://www.yogajournal.com/poses/here-comes-the-sun/</a>



 <a
 href="https://www.ekhartyoga.com/articles/practice/the-origin-of-the-sun-salutation">https://www.ekhartyoga.com/articles/practice/the-origin-of-the-sun-salutation</a>


<hr />

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

Join the well-being movement!

<h4>How are Yoga, social responsibility, and social justice interlinked? SANGITA PADMANABHAN and BHUSHAN BHUKTE from the Heartfulness Yoga Academy share some interesting perspectives on how to develop a higher sense of social responsibility and bring about social justice through Yoga. They also share the Peaceful Warrior practice.</h4><hr>By their very nature, Yoga and social responsibility are interlinked. The word Yoga is derived from the Sanskrit root Yuj meaning “to yoke” or “to unite.” The practice of Yoga leads to the union of individual consciousness with Universal Consciousness, bringing about perfect harmony between mind and body, human beings and Nature.Yoga is the art and science of <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/happiness-food-and-resources" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">healthy living</a>. It is all about peace, unity, wholeness, and connectedness. It brings about individual growth, which leads to the growth of the society and the community.<h4>How can social injustice ever exist where there is oneness and peace?</h4>Sage Patanjali gave us the eightfold path of Ashtanga Yoga. The first two limbs are Yama and Niyama, those universal ethical principles that are for all times and all humanity. They are the very foundation of yogic practice. The Niyamas tell us what we can do for the good of ourselves and the society, and the Yamas tell us what to avoid, because it would be harmful to ourselves and the society. By following the Yamas and Niyamas we become socially responsible – we lead a lifestyle that is in tune with Nature. That is exactly what humanity and our planet need right now.<hr>“Only remove the hatred and universal love is there.” — Babuji<hr><h4>Peaceful Warrior practice</h4>Yoga means so much more than our Asana practices on the mat. It permeates all aspects of life. Many of us take up Yoga for its physical benefits, but after practicing for a while we are drawn to the beautiful universal philosophy behind the practices. When we keep our mind in the present, with complete breath and body awareness, these practices induce in us various bhavas, or feelings.The Warrior Pose, named after the warrior Virabhadra, is said to help us overcome ego and ignorance. When we practice the warrior series, it leads to feelings of strength, focus, humility, reverence, confidence, and courage. Try this practice with us at <a href="https://youtu.be/s1kODAjcOQU">https://youtu.be/s1kODAjcOQU</a>.<hr><hr><hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/virabhadrasana_2_Warrior_2_fb0fc1109c.jpg" alt="">I am a peaceful warrior. Peace is my goal. Inner composure is my shield from external disturbances.<hr><hr><hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Viparita_Virabhadrasana_Reverse_Warrior_c84221a9e6.jpg" alt="">My gaze is ever upward, yet my feet are firmly rooted.<hr><hr><hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Virabhadrasana_1_Warrior_1_7d3de09c71.jpg" alt="">My mind and body are aligned and in harmony. Come what may, I am ready.<hr><hr><hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Baddha_Virabhadrasana_Humble_Warrior_Pose_0282c4bc88.jpg" alt="">Humility is the backbone of my inner peace. Rooted in reverence and eternally grateful.<hr><hr><hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/virabhadrasana_2_Warrior_2_fb0fc1109c.jpg" alt="">I am a peaceful warrior, my mind at ease, my heart at peace.<hr><hr><hr>Try to carry the focus, awareness, and the feeling of peace you generate during this practice with you throughout all your daily activities. It is only then that the real magic of Yoga begins to work, and the goodness of your heart will be reflected in all your actions.<hr>

The peaceful warrior

<h4
 id="h-how-can-yoga-help-us-take-care-of-the-planet-sangeeta-padmanabhan-and-bhushan-bhukte-from-the-heartfulness-yoga-academy-explain-the-relationship-between-yoga-and-the-environment-and-the-simple-practices-that-we-can-all-do-to-cultivate-sustainability-and-a-regenerative-attitude">
 How can Yoga help us take care of the planet?
 SANGEETA PADMANABHAN
 and
 BHUSHAN BHUKTE
 from the Heartfulness Yoga Academy explain the relationship between Yoga
 and the environment, and the simple practices that we can all do to
 cultivate sustainability and a regenerative attitude.
</h4>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<h4>
 Reverence for Mother Earth
</h4>


 There is an ancient mantra dedicated to divine Mother Earth asking her for
 forgiveness for touching her with our feet. It is chanted first thing in the
 morning before getting out of bed, before placing our feet upon her:



 Samudra-Vasane Devi Parvata-Stana-Mannddale | Hari Priye Namas-Tubhyam Paada-Sparsham
 Kshamasva-Me ||



 Salutations to Mother Earth, who has the oceans as her clothing and
 mountains and jungles on her body. The Beloved of Hari (the Lord), please
 forgive me for placing my feet upon you.



 This beautiful chant shows the reverence and gratitude of the ancient yogis
 toward Mother Earth. We can all bring back this attitude into our lives.


<h4>
 Skill in action
</h4>


 Yogaha Karmasu Kaushalam|| Chapter 2, verse 50



 In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna said that Yoga is skill in action. Yoga
 is not merely a set of physical exercises. Yoga&nbsp;is how skillfully you
 communicate and act in any given situation. As you grow on the path of Yoga
 you become less reactive and more proactive.



 Another definition of Yoga is “Samatvam Yoga Uchyate” (Chapter 2,
 verse 48). Yoga is a balanced state of mind and body. The essence of Yoga is
 balance, not only within, but also in our relationship with all humanity and
 nature.



 The Bhagavad Gita also teaches us that “not taking action in times of crisis
 is a form of violence.” Adopting a yogic lifestyle can teach us&nbsp;to live
 in harmony with ourselves, society and nature. This is of utmost relevance
 today to help us to combat climate change.


<h4>
 Yoga is a way of life
</h4>


 Adopting a yogic lifestyle provides us with powerful tools to bring about
 complete inner transformation.



 The practice of the Yamas and Niyamas brings about this
 subtle but potent transformation. Non-violence (ahimsa),
 non-possessiveness (aparigraha), contentment (santosha),
 removal of impurities (tapas), and surrender to the ultimate (Ishwara pranidhana) are
 all&nbsp;powerful tools.



 Through the practice of Yoga, we uncover our deepest intentions, values, and
 abilities. Through asteya (non stealing) we realize that we are
 stealing the future from generations to come. Through
 swadhyaya (introspection) we realize how our often
 innocent&nbsp;but&nbsp;thoughtless actions are harming the Earth.


<h4>
 Yoga on the mat and beyond
</h4>


 Our actions always&nbsp;begin with our personal practice. As practitioners
 of Yoga, we become aware that our bodies are made up of the elements, and
 that we breathe, eat, and drink what the Earth provides us. We are one with
 the Earth.


<h5>
 1. Let concepts be alive
</h5>


 When you are practicing asanas, are you able to find the delicate
 balance between getting into the pose, staying in the pose, and coming out
 of the pose, or are you taking too much effort which&nbsp;creates the wrong
 tension in the body? Are you practicing ahimsa and self-care on the
 mat?



 Remember the concepts. Whatever you practice on the mat permeates your
 lifestyle, and extends much beyond the mat. If you practice
 ahimsa and self-care, you will share it with everyone and
 everything around you.



 Lifestyle change:&nbsp; Try to switch to a plant rich
 diet.


<h5>
 2. Visualize
</h5>


 Close your eyes and visualize the posture before entering each posture. When
 practicing a posture like Vrikshasana (tree pose), visualize that you are
 doing it perfectly. Your efforts are like the roots of the tree, holding you
 firm and tall, the trunk of the tree is your practice” It is said
 practice-practice-practice makes you perfect. The joy you feel in the
 posture is the crown of the tree.



 “Look at a tree. It uses some water, cow dung for manure,
 sunlight, and
 gives you the best fruit. Every intake in nature is minimal and we
 receive the best output.” – Daaji



 Lifestyle change: &nbsp;Plant a tree, gift a tree, donate
 a tree!


<h5>
 3. Pause 
</h5>


 Pause in the posture, scan your body. Bring complete&nbsp; awareness to
 your&nbsp; practice. As yogis we develop awareness. Remember that
 self-awareness on the mat permeates your lifestyle!



 Lifestyle change: Practice the five Rs: Reduce, Reuse,
 Recycle, Rethink,
 Recover.


<h5>
 4. Breathe and Smile
</h5>


 Make sure you breathe and smile to relax. Long inhale, long exhale. Let the
 breath support your prana and let it flow generously from the heart to your
 entire body. Smile and be grateful to your body. Practicing Yoga makes us
 happier, kinder and compassionate.



 Lifestyle change: Reduce food waste. Share your plenty
 with others who
 are in need.


<h5>
 5. Connect to your heart
 
</h5>


 Gently come out of the posture. Allow the prana to flow and observe the
 changes while being connected to your heart. Stay connected to your heart
 throughout the day to help you make choices, spend less energy and achieve
 more. Minimum input, maximum output.



 Lifestyle change:&nbsp;Wherever possible, switch to
 natural sources of
 energy
 like solar and wind energy.


<h5>
 6. Body, mind and soul
 
</h5>


 Always end your Yoga practice with Heartfulness Relaxation and Meditation
 for a complete effect. Feel the energy of Mother Earth entering your body
 from the feet and supporting your entire system.



 Lifestyle change:&nbsp; Save water, save power.


<hr class="vertical-space1" />


<img decoding="async" width="700" height="474" alt="" class="lazyload has-img-center"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/yoga_for_the_planet2_30bd2169be.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-26T10:58:47.051Z" />


Tadasana – Standing mountain pose

Vriksasana&nbsp;– Tree pose

Parvatasana – Grounded mountain pose

Vyaghrasana – Tiger pose

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


 Through our asanas, like Tadasana, Vrikshasana, Parvatasana, and
 Vyaghrasana, we feel oneness with the mountains, trees, wildlife and all of
 nature. When we feel this oneness through our Yoga practice, then taking
 action for the planet becomes a part of our day-to-day life and our
 lifestyle changes accordingly. Our group practice becomes like a satsangh
 and we develop a sense of community. Our actions come from the heart.



 “Whatever activity you are engaged in, take a detour via
 the heart. After
 all, who can resist the heart’s signals!” Daaji


<hr class="vertical-space1" />

Yoga for the planet

<h4
 id="h-sangeeta-padmanabhan-and-bhushan-bhukte-from-the-heartfulness-yoga-academy-explore-the-nature-of-asana-pranayama-and-dhyana-and-how-easily-they-can-be-practiced-during-the-yoga4unity-program">
 SANGEETA PADMANABHAN and BHUSHAN BHUKTE from the Heartfulness Yoga Academy
 explore the nature of Asana, Pranayama and Dhyana, and how easily they can be practiced during the Yoga4Unity
 program.</h4>



<hr class="vertical-space1">



“Yoga is a means, and an efficient self is the product.”&nbsp; Daaji



<hr class="vertical-space1">



Every year the Heartfulness Yoga Academy celebrates International Day of Yoga along with other Yoga institutions
 through the Yoga 4 Unity Program @ <a href="http://www.yoga4unity.com">www.yoga4unity.com</a>.



We teach Asana, Pranayama, and Heartfulness Meditation with Transmission right from the beginning. Asanas and
 Pranayama contribute to the health and strength of the body and mind, and beautifully complement the cleansing and
 strengthening process that the Heartfulness practices offer. This combination is in the Ashtanga tradition of
 Patanjali, and offers a rapid and dynamic transformation at a deep and subtle level to one and all.



So let’s have a closer look at Asana, Pranayama, and Meditation.



Asana



For thousands of years, the Hatha Yoga practices were known only to the ascetics, and the ultimate goal of Yoga was
 to understand the true nature of the Self or Reality through Raja Yoga.



Asana (posture) is stable and comfortable. A body posture that results in a steady state of comfort is called Asana.
 That’s how Sage Patanjali defines it.



Asana is the third limb of Sage Patanjali’s Ashtanga Yoga, but in the Hatha Yoga tradition, Asana comes first. Both
 Sage Patanjali and Swami Swatarama (in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika) talk about achieving mastery over the mind. The
 body is just an instrument.



Pranayama



Pranayama is the fourth limb of Sage Patanjali’s Ashtanga Yoga. Through Pranayama, we regulate and balance the
 rhythms of energy resulting in a healthy body and mind.



It is interesting to know that life is not measured by the number of days but by the number of breaths. Do you know
 the secret of the tortoise’s long life? It’s breathing rate. It breathes only three to four times every minute,
 whereas human beings breathe at least 15 times every minute.



<a href="https://www.daaji.org/what-your-breathing-tells-you/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Daaji
 </a>often reminds us that all our activities are influenced by the flow of prana in our nadis, and it is possible to
 alter the flow voluntarily by using willpower and certain yogic techniques.



<h4 class="has-text-align-center">ABC –
 an exercise</h4>



<h4 class="has-text-align-center">Always Breathe Consciously</h4>



If you watch your breath you will find that it is usually flowing more in one nostril than the other. Check and see
 which one of your nostrils is breathing dominantly at this moment.



Meditation



Meditation or Dhyana is the seventh limb of Ashtanga Yoga. The ancient science of meditation has from time immemorial
 been practiced for God Realization. Meditation is said to be the “voice of consciousness.”



The purpose of meditation is self-transformation, to arrive at a new “me.” Heartfulness has a special system of
 meditation with pranahuti (Transmission). This approach evolved out of the ancient tradition of Raja Yoga.




Join us for a course or for a session @<a href="http://www.heartfulness.org/yoga">www.heartfulness.org/yoga</a>



<hr class="vertical-space1">

What can yoga do for you?

<h4
 id="h-sangeeta-padmanabhan-and-bhushan-bhukte-from-the-heartfulness-yoga-academy-explain-the-relationship-between-yoga-and-unity-and-the-simple-practices-that-we-can-all-do-to-celebrate-diversity-and-build-peace-collaboration-and-harmony">
 SANGEETA PADMANABHAN
 and
 BHUSHAN BHUKTE from the Heartfulness Yoga
 Academy explain the relationship between Yoga
 and unity, and the simple practices that we can all do to celebrate
 diversity and build peace, collaboration and harmony.
 </h4>

 <hr class="vertical-space1" />

 
 &nbsp;“I am blessed with all divine gifts, All men and women of the
 world are my brothers and sisters, &nbsp;and my thought is one with
 theirs.” —Heartfulness Meditation for Unity
 

 <hr class="vertical-space1" />

 
 If all of us were the same, the world would be a very boring place. It is
 our diversity that makes life so interesting. Yoga helps us celebrate that
 cultural diversity.
 

 
 One of the definitions of Yoga is “Yujyateanenaiti Yogah,”meaning
 Yoga is that which joins. It unites the physical, mental, emotional, and
 spiritual aspects of our being. Yoga unites our individual consciousness
 with the universal consciousness. The practice of Yoga helps us to
 experience the light that resides in all of us as coming from the same
 source.
 

 
 We are one world family, “VasudhaivaKutumbakam,” the coming
 together of all types of people. The practice of Yoga creates harmony within
 us, and harmony within leads to harmony around us.
 

 
 Swami Vivekananda introduced the world to Raja Yoga in 1893, and paved the
 way for many others to spread Yoga around the world. Since then, it has
 become available in many forms.
 

 
 Heartfulness celebrates, promotes, and supports the integrity and diversity
 of Yoga around the world through a very unique program, which started in
 2021. It is called, “Yoga for Unity and Wellbeing” and it offers 100 days of
 Yoga leading up to the International Day of Yoga on 21 June 2022.
 

 
 The Heartfulness Yoga Academy and over 40 Yoga organizations conduct a
 united program, in harmony, to spread yogic practices and knowledge free of
 cost on a virtual platform.
 

 
 The coming together of all these prestigious Yoga institutions, and the
 close collaboration of teachers and experts, is a source of immense
 happiness. It is a unique program that has been tailored for seniors,
 beginners, enthusiasts, Yoga professionals, and children. You can find the
 Yoga that suits you and belong to this growing community. This year we have
 a real bouquet of Yoga styles and practices that celebrate unity in
 diversity.
 

 
 Register here for free: www.yoga4unity.com.
 

 
 Our journey creates an inner meditative state that manifests the heart’s
 intrinsic goodness. This expression of goodness makes peace dynamic and
 life-affirming, and in its wake, brings unity and harmony to this world.
 

 <hr class="vertical-space1" />

Celebrating cultural diversity through Yoga

<h4>SANGEETA PADMANABHAN and BHUSHAN BHUKTE from the Heartfulness Yoga Academy explain the relationship between Yoga and happiness, and the simple practices that we can all do to cultivate lasting happiness in our lives.</h4><hr><h4>The Importance of Happiness</h4>All our lives we are in search of happiness. We give so much importance to it that there is even a field of social science called “Positive Psychology, the Science of Happiness.” Thousands of years ago, long before modern-day psychologists, the great Sage Patanjali gave us the road map for eternal happiness in his Yoga Sutras. This amazing treatise is one of the oldest and greatest works on psychology to date.<h4>Two Sides of a Coin</h4>One of the definitions of happiness is the mental state of experiencing positive or pleasant emotions. Some schools of philosophy refer to it as sukha, the positive feeling that is produced by the contact of the sense organs with agreeable objects.Yoga teaches us that sukha (happiness) and dukha (sorrow) are two sides of the same coin. The waning of sukha leads to dukha, and vice versa. In the search for perennial happiness, we become caught in the non-ending circle of desire fulfillment.It is mentioned in the Bhagavad Gita, in Chapter II, Verse 63, that when desires are not fulfilled we are disappointed. Disappointment then leads to anger, and anger makes us lose our balance. Once we lose balance, we lose our humanness.When Babuji spoke of “More and more of less and less,” he was speaking about desires. There is so much wisdom in this simple statement. If you want to be happy, have fewer and fewer desires.<hr><hr><h4>If you want to be happy,&nbsp; have fewer and fewer desires.&nbsp;</h4><hr><hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/PNK_6740_happiness2_644ffba1a8.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-17T13:00:24.302Z" alt="happiness"><hr><h4>Yoga is the Science of Holistic Living</h4>Yoga is the science of true and lasting bliss, Ananda. It starts with the second limb of Yoga known as Niyama. One of the Niyamas is Santosha, which roughly translates as “contentment.” Patanjali says that contentment leads to extraordinary happiness.Contentment means to experience satisfaction in your present state, no matter what is going on. It is closely linked to evenness of mind and poise, undisturbed by either distress or happiness. The equanimity that enables us to accept all circumstances with serenity is so praiseworthy that Lord Krishna called it Yoga, or union with the Supreme.So instead of running after elusive happiness, in <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/authenticity-and-acceptance" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Yoga</a> we focus on contentment, Santosha.<hr><hr><h4>The equanimity that enables us&nbsp; to accept all circumstances with serenity&nbsp; is so praiseworthy that Lord Krishna called it Yoga,&nbsp; or union with the Supreme.&nbsp;</h4><hr><hr><h4>7 Ways to Create Your Own Happiness Through Yoga</h4>Heartfulness Yoga gives us a deep understanding of the art and science of lasting happiness:<ol><li>Asanas help to ease tension and promote health and well-being. Yoga poses done with complete breath and body awareness give us a “sense of direction” and keep us “completely centered and grounded.” Gomukhasana, Marjariasana, Bhujangasana, Dhanurasana, Ustrasana, and Chakrasana are wonderful postures for opening our hearts and preparing us to fall in love with everything. These practices instill in us feelings of belongingness, forgiveness, contentment, gratitude and surrender. &nbsp;</li><li>Regular and simple Pranayama practice makes our breathing smoother, calmer, and regulated. It calms the mind and slowly improves our outlook on life. &nbsp;</li><li>Relaxation helps us to know the importance of “the power of pause.” &nbsp;</li><li>Cleaning helps us remove the obstacles to happiness on the path and achieve a state of balanced mind. We learn to let go of unnecessary clutter. &nbsp;</li><li>Meditation with Transmission helps us to uncover and cultivate our deep intention, taking us on the path of true happiness. &nbsp;</li><li>Journaling helps us to check and reflect on how far we have traveled on the path of happiness. &nbsp;</li><li>Prayer reminds us to finish off our list of desires and “hurry home.”</li></ol><hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Gomukhasana_e0aba68249.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-26T08:46:51.987Z" alt=""><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Bhujangasana_2944047940.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-26T08:48:49.369Z" alt=""><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/dhanurasana_247d7a3b71.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-26T08:49:28.048Z" alt=""><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Ustrasana2_cc99ca80f2.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-26T08:50:04.755Z" alt=""><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Chakrasana_07156da283.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-26T08:50:51.176Z" alt=""><hr>With regular practice we experience real contentment and bliss. We stop running after fleeting happiness and become aware of the completeness within us. We stop projecting our unhappy thoughts onto the screen of our life and return to love and truth.We allow ourselves to fall deeply in love with everything, we become aware of our wholeness, and joy is the result – the joy of the soul embracing life.<hr>To learn more about Heartfulness Yoga: <a href="http://www.heartfulness.org/yoga">www.heartfulness.org/yoga</a> To practice with us daily: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/yoga4unity">www.youtube.com/yoga4unity</a> To explore Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras: <a href="https://hfnlife.com/products/the-authentic-yoga">https://hfnlife.com/products/the-authentic-yoga</a><hr>

7 ways to happiness through Yoga

Bill Bowerman

Everything you need

Generosity is a celebration

Bo is a comedian from Seattle, Washington. He can be found headlining clubs, breweries, and theaters across the United States and Canada. His stand-up has been featured on Netflix Is a Joke Radio, Comedy Central, and at many well-known venues. With a growing online audience, Bo’s jokes have been viewed by millions.

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Bo Johnson

BO JOHNSON is interviewed by SURAJ SEHGAL about being a stand-up comedian, the humanity behind humor, and the nerves around how it will be received. He also reminds us why we need humor more than ever before.&nbsp;Q: What initially drew you to a career in stand-up?&nbsp;BJ: When I was in the seventh or eighth grade, the iTunes Store had just become a thing. They had all the old-in some cases not so old-Comedy Central half hours. I was mowing a lot of lawns and doing yard work at the time, and I spent almost all the money I made on music or comedy specials at the iTunes Store. I’ll never listen to it again.The first comics I loved were Mitch Hedberg and Demetri Martin, who were both great non-sequitur one-liner comedians. I also loved humorous books like those of David Sedaris and Douglas Adams, who wrote The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.I had been writing a little satire zine with two friends, but after college they lost interest. I was also frustrated by writing something that no one would read, so I wanted to find a medium where the engine was my own interest. Stand-up was perfect; even if at first it’s three-minute open mic sets, there are captive audiences, and they give immediate feedback on what sucks and what works. That was the start of it, right after graduating college. I was busing tables and starting to do stand-up.Q: I’ve seen your stand-up routine twice, once in Atlanta and once in San Francisco. I noticed you have jokes you are comfortable with, and then you have your sheet of paper with new material you’re workshopping. What’s your creative process like for developing new material?BJ: If I’m on the road, I’ll slip in a few new lines, or some newer material, into the main set. I’ll try to do five to ten minutes of new material on a headline show, and if it’s working consistently, I’ll move it into my regular set and see if it still holds up. If it does, then it has a more permanent home.When I’m at home or doing shorter sets, I’ll go to an open mic and do 30 minutes. In an ideal world, that’s where I would try new ideas, where no one’s paying to see me. But some jokes are longer, and don’t really work on an open mic, and some jokes just work better if you do them 30 minutes into a set versus a cold opening.Q: Comics have different ways of writing. Do you spend a certain amount of time writing each day? Or is it when inspiration hits?BJ: I should do more sit-down writing, because some of the stuff has been written that way. But right now I’ll go for a long walk or workout and jot down an idea here and there. If I’m in a city for shows, I like to walk around and think about something that will hopefully catch. A lot of it is conversation-based writing. If I’m talking with friends and something makes us laugh, I’ll write it down as a premise. I have a weekly call with a couple of friends, and we go over the jokes we’re working on and try to improve each other’s material.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/being_funny4_cc66a95261.webp" alt="being-funny4.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_being_funny4_cc66a95261.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_being_funny4_cc66a95261.webp 623w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/being_funny4_cc66a95261.webp 623w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;Q: What’s been the most challenging aspect of being a stand-up comedian? And what have you done to try to overcome it?BJ: I’ve been doing stand-up full-time for about a year and a half now, and doing it as a whole for eight and a half years, including during the pandemic. One of the most challenging parts is doing three or four different jobs. I have a manager now who helps with my bookings, but I still run all my online ads and social media. Those tasks that make it possible to earn a living directly eat away at my ability to be creative. But without doing them, there’s no way to make a living doing stand-up. I try to make sure that I take time away from the business end to be a person, to experience the world directly, let my brain be free enough to be creative, and to have new experiences to write about.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">I try to make sure that I take time away from the business end to be a person, to experience the world directly, let my brain be free enough to be creative, and to have new experiences to write about.&nbsp; &nbsp;</h4><hr>Another challenge is that it’s easy to take it personally if I’m not doing well on stage. I’m basically saying, “Hey, here’s what I think is funny.” Sometimes people won’t like the way I view the world. There’ll be some weeks or months where I feel super creative and very funny. I’m writing a lot of new material that is all working. Then there will be stretches where nothing is working, and I don’t feel sad or funny. Life is just more stressful. Maybe something’s happened to my personal life.Stand-up is essentially freelance work. You’re going paycheck to paycheck, regardless of whether or not those paychecks are big or small. As soon as one job is done, you’re waiting on the next. Your mood can be tied to how well you’re doing on stage. Sometimes you don’t know how to balance your emotions. When I had a day job as well, and I wasn’t feeling creative or funny, or I did poorly on stage, it wasn’t my only identity. I could think, “Oh, I have this other job. And this is part of who I am.” It didn’t feel as much like the only thing I did.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/being_funny5_cfa771c92a.webp" alt="being-funny5.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_being_funny5_cfa771c92a.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_being_funny5_cfa771c92a.webp 917w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/being_funny5_cfa771c92a.webp 917w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;Now, when things aren’t going well on stage, it’s harder to balance out and feel, “Okay, let’s not sit on this for too long.” Like an athlete having a bad game, you don’t want to dwell on it forever. You want to have a short memory, ideally, being honest about how it didn’t go well, but not sitting on it for too long.Q: It’s hard not to take things personally. You thought it was funny, you were literally standing up in front of a bunch of people sharing it because you thought it was worth sharing. With music, people can say, “We don’t like your voice.” With stand-up, people can say, “We don’t like you the way you think.” In the last eight years, I’m sure there have been times when your moods were different, or you were just in a phase where you felt less funny. What helps you move forward from that?BJ: It’s easier to say than do in practice, perhaps. You learn over time that it will always pass. There have been enough times where I’ve felt very funny and done great on stage, then bombed for a while, then been funny again, then bombed for a while. It’s just remembering that this has happened before.If I’m on the road, I try to write something about the city, or have a new joke, a new line. It makes it easier to be present. I don’t want to come across as if most of it is written or is an act. I don’t want to be reciting it like a play with no emotion on autopilot. If I think about my favorite concerts, it wasn’t just that they were good singers; they were clearly very happy to be there. We’re all in the moment. That’s the goal. I want to be in the room when I’m performing. I love that. And that makes it more fun to love.Q: There are changing boundaries with what is considered appropriate or respectful. I think a lot of comedy is trying to push boundaries, but at the same time trying to be respectful and keeping it enjoyable.BJ: I think it’s about your own individual sense of humor, and how good a joke you can write. I’d say that my sense of humor tends to skew more toward silly than serious. Great joke writers can get away with joking about anything, because you can make anything funny if it’s coming from the right perspective. Who you are also makes what you can joke about, what you can say, and how it’s understood. If you’re joking about your own identity, it’s very different from commenting on a group that is different from you. I’m ideally not writing jokes that will make people feel bad. If I write something that reads the wrong way, I just don’t do that joke anymore. When people are talking about things you’re not supposed to joke about, you can joke about whatever you want; but if people are upset, that’s a reaction and it’s totally fair.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Who you are also makes what you can joke about, what you can say, and how it’s understood. If you’re joking about your own identity, it’s very different from commenting on a group that is different from you.&nbsp;</h4><hr>Q: Have you ever decided not to share a joke because people have been upset?BJ: I don’t think I’ve posted or shared any that are too controversial. I don’t know if there’s a right or wrong with this; there are some subjects you can joke about from all the right places, but they are darker subjects. Even if the joke’s written the right way, someone in the room won’t want to hear it. Maybe it’s tied to their past experiences. Someone could be doing jokes about mental health and suicide, for example. I’ve seen instances of that with people I care about, where they’ve had a bad experience and they don’t want to have that memory brought up, even if it’s done in a mindful way. I think that’s fair. Ideally we don’t want people leaving feeling worse than when they came to a show.Q: There’s a lot right now that feels pretty challenging; there’s plenty to be sad about. It strikes me as important to have people still laughing and making jokes. What do you think about the importance of humor and comedy, especially now?BJ: My favorite part about stand-up is the initial idea of a joke, even before you find out if it works. This is true about other art as well. I remember cartoons like Calvin and Hobbes when I was growing up; it made me stoked that someone was making stuff that I thought was cool. And it made the world seem like a better place. At college, one of my roommates showed me another comic I really love, Mike Birbiglia. We bonded and connected when he showed me this guy, who he really resonated with and loved. The same could be said about my best friends in high school; I’m still really close to them. We all loved Flight of the Conchords and had inside jokes tied to different shows and comics we enjoyed. We grew closer laughing together. We had a shared sense of humor. If anything I’m doing has that same impact, it would be really cool.More from Bo Johnson:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLGWWlDBQUcW77ENfRCLeUw Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bojohnsoncomedy/?hl=en<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/being_funny6_7fade6baac.webp" alt="being-funny6.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_being_funny6_7fade6baac.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_being_funny6_7fade6baac.webp 623w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/being_funny6_7fade6baac.webp 623w," sizes="100vw"></figure><hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Illustrations by ANANYA PATEL</h4><hr>

Being funny

Bob has been president of the Fetzer Institute since 2013. Under his leadership, its current mission statement is “helping build the spiritual foundation for a loving world.” Prior to that, Bob spent his career working with nonprofit organizations on strategy development, advocacy, program development, governance, and legal compliance. While practicing law in Washington, DC, he represented a broad range of foundations and public charities. He has helped to design and lead major national advocacy campaigns involving environmental and health issues and the right of nonprofit organizations to participate in the legislative process.


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Bob Boisture

<h4>BOB BOISTURE speaks with JUDITH NELSON at
 the Spirit of Humanity Forum, held in Reykjavík, Iceland on the 1 June 2019. In part 1, he shared with us the vision
 of the Fetzer Institute, and the need for personal transformation and love to bring about the changes necessary
 today to address the most pressing issues of humanity and our planet Earth. In part 2, he continues by focusing on
 how this translates to practical activities in our day-to-day lives.</h4>
BB:&nbsp;We’re working with one of the biggest
 civil society umbrella groups in the US that’s had a longstanding commitment to support leadership development
 within civil society. With some encouragement and support from us, they’ve taken the bold stand that there’s a new
 dimension to leadership development, and it is this inner work. We’re working with them to firstly take that message
 into civil society, but then, necessarily, to begin to build the ecosystem of supports for that inner work.
 Hopefully that can support, at scale, a rapidly growing number of leaders at the community state, national level.

We’re also bringing together faith leaders across the faith spectrum, which in our
 country also means across the political spectrum, and inviting them to reflect on why is it that so often their
 communities have shown up in our public conversation as part of the polarizing dynamic, when surely their faith
 commitments compel all of them to be part of the reconciling solution. We’re working with all communities to change
 in the context of our next presidential election, with the hope that faith leaders across politics will stand
 together and say the most urgent priority all of us are compelled to have is reconciliation.
I’m optimistic actually, because I think anybody who is awake and has children or
 grandchildren, realizes that we can’t go on like this. We have to go to a deeper level and recover a shared moral
 vision of the society we’re trying to create. None of us have all the answers. We have to listen to each other; we
 have to come together.
<hr>
<h5 style="text-align: center;">Whether we’re thinking about global leaders 
 at the highest level or each of us as leaders in our daily lives, 
 I think committing to the discipline of 
 daily spiritual practices is actually 
 the most serious work we need to do. 
 That will transform the way 
 we are in all aspects of our life.</h5>
<hr>
Q: Is that how you came to be involved with the Spirit of Humanity
 Forum? How did that relationship evolve?
BB:&nbsp;Exactly, and that really goes back to the
 vision of a merging global movement. One of the most important things that needs to happen to accelerate that
 movement is that we need to find each other. Those of us who are committed to this vision need to find each other
 and support each other, because there’s tremendous empowerment in knowing that we’re not alone in this. Together we
 can support each other and make a difference.
Fetzer has been connected with the Forum since 2014, but this is my first time to be
 here. I’m taking away new relationships and new energy that are not going to be one-offs. I have committed to a
 number of people here that we’re going to get together and figure out how we can support each other in our work. So
 that’s one thing, the connection.
<img alt="spirit-foundation2" class="img-float-left has-img-center-in-mobile"
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But now, let’s go back to this “Shared Sacred Story” idea that we are creating here.
 We’re creating the language to take this vision out into the world, and I think that’s tremendously important. We’re
 creating very open, spacious language, and our vision of this Shared Sacred Story is that it’s not one story, it’s a
 meta-narrative, if you will, that has plenty of room for each tradition to tell their version of the sacred story.
 Also, people who are on this journey but don’t identify with one of the major traditions, are in that wonderful
 place where they can draw on the riches of all the traditions. You can feel it in the freedom of this gathering;
 we’re finding a language that is spacious enough to bring us all to a common ground without any of us having to
 abandon the depth of our particular story. I think that’s a wonderful, exciting thing to be part of.
Q: Humility is a quality that has come through at the Forum, in people
 like yourself and other speakers. What’s your view of that in terms of how we approach all these big problems that
 are out there in the world?
BB: I think humility is one of the virtues we most
 need, when you think about these angry fights we’re having with each other. What’s wonderful here, and I’ve sensed
 the same humility, is the discernment. Maybe it’s a collective discernment, that each of us has come to whatever
 wisdom we’ve come to through our life’s journey. In the grand scheme, it’s a very particular life journey. The
 exciting thing we’re called to is to open to the richness of everybody else’s journey, to realize that we’ve got to
 create this new world together, and that none of us has all the answers. There’s also humility in relation to the
 cosmos and the transcendent. We realize that there’s something at work here that’s so much larger than any of us. We
 have to stand in awe, reverence and humility in the face of this cosmic movement through love towards love. There’s
 no room for ego, I think there’s only room for gratitude.
Q: You spoke this morning about what world leaders could be doing to be
 different in their approach. Can you expand on that?
BB:&nbsp;I think it has to start inside of each of
 us as individuals, and for all world leaders in creating the culture. Our fundamental challenge is we’re stuck in a
 culture that encourages us to engage from a place of ego and separation and fear, and the real challenge for us
 individually and collectively is to shift to engaging each other and the world from a place of wholeness and
 all-centeredness and love. That’s hard. It’s not just waking up one morning and saying, “I’m going to be a more
 loving individual.” It’s in strengthening the muscle that really helps us when we face the tough choice of deciding
 to commit to the solution that’s in the interests of the whole, rather than a particular interest.
All of the great spiritual traditions confront that core human challenge, and they’ve
 developed spiritual practices and communities that can support us as individuals, whatever path we’re on. And for
 people who don’t live within one of the traditions, but are on a spiritual path, they also can draw on those
 resources to support their own spiritual journey. Whether we’re thinking about global leaders at the highest level
 or each of us as leaders in our daily lives, I think committing to the discipline of daily spiritual practices is
 actually the most serious work we need to do. That will transform the way we are in all aspects of our life.
Q: Are you happy to share a bit about what you do to interiorize and to
 keep yourself going?
BB:&nbsp;Yes. I grew up and lived in the Christian
 tradition where, as a very young child, I was taught that God is love, we’re all children of God, and we’re here to
 love. That all landed with me at a young age, so since adolescence I’ve approached life as a meditation on what it
 means to love in this moment, in this situation. I have a practice of prayer, I do a lot of meditation walking
 reflection, writing reflection, but I always joke that my most important spiritual practice is marriage! I think
 it’s in those intimate places where we’re most challenged to overcome our own ego and our self, and really commit to
 the flourishing of another. We have a wonderful opportunity in intimate relationships, whether it’s marriage or our
 work setting, to approach it as a continuing practice of love. How can I bring as much love into this situation as I
 can? I have found that a very life-giving way of approaching things.
Q: You’re describing something very practical and in touch with living
 in the real world, rather than perhaps an old-fashioned expectation that people have to go away somewhere else.
 Would you agree with that?
BB:&nbsp;Yes, but I’m also big on going away. Time
 out in the natural world is tremendously renewing, but I think it’s finding the way to link that inner cultivation
 with practical action. That is where we grow, because it’s that back and forth between meeting the tough situations
 that all of us face in our daily life. It is hard to always meet people with the commitment of love, so going off
 and reflecting on how we did and what we can do better is helpful. As a person of faith, connecting with that
 something greater empowers us all to love. I don’t think it’s either-or, I think it’s both. Finding the way to weave
 that into our busy lives is a challenge, but even if you can steal five minutes to find a quiet place, I find that
 tremendously life-giving.
Q: That balance between spiritual and practical daily life.
BB:&nbsp;Yes. We don’t love people in the abstract.
 We love them in how we treat them. We nurture our ability to love by going deep within ourselves, because we connect
 with something much deeper that calls us to love.
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Q: Young people are very much at the forefront of the world at the
 moment and world change. Do you have any advice or guidance that you want to share with them? Any words of hope?
BB:&nbsp;I am inspired by the global movement of
 young people that is really challenging us to care about the environment, to care about peace. I guess the one thing
 I’d say is that the most life-giving thing any of us can do is to commit to this greater call. From my own
 experience, having made that commitment, I’ve been blessed to find wonderful people to work with, experiencing the
 gratification of being part of positive change. It’s a gift to ourselves to make that commitment.
Q: How do you share this vision with your grandchildren?
BB:&nbsp;Given their young ages, just by loving
 them. Growing up being loved is the most precious thing that can happen to a child. Hopefully I’ve grown into some
 real wisdom in my later years that I didn’t have when I was parenting the first time around. So one of the things
 I’m excited about is finding the right way to share with them. Another exciting opportunity for me personally is
 that my oldest son, who grew up in the Christian tradition, has married a wonderful Indian-American woman whose
 tradition is Hinduism. So, how can their two little boys grow up in the richness of both traditions?
To answer your question, I haven’t figured it out yet, but that’s one of the wonderful
 challenges of this stage in my life as a grandparent.
Q: The quality of love has always been a mystery to me, because people’s
 interpretation and understanding of love can be very different. There can even be a rather selfish approach to love.
 So how do you define your version of love?
BB:&nbsp;In the relationship between the lover and
 the beloved, in its deepest form, what is it that we want? I think there are two things. We want the deepest
 possible communion with that person. The Irish have a beautiful expression “Anam cara,” meaning soul
 friend. We want to be soul friends. The second thing is that we want the beloved to flourish.
<hr>
<h5 style="text-align: center;">We don’t love people in the abstract. 
 We love them in how we treat them. 
 We nurture our ability to love 
 by going deep within ourselves, 
 because we connect with something 
 much deeper that calls us to love.</h5>
<hr>
I used an example at a personal level, but it’s just as true at the societal level. In
 our country we don’t have nearly enough social commitment to early childhood development. I can’t personally be in
 loving communion with all the children in America, as with my grandchildren, but I can take that same sense of
 affection and ask, “How can I help create the social systems that can support the flourishing of all of those
 children?” It’s not soft and it’s not abstract. It’s something we can operationalize.
I wrote a paper a number of years ago, largely for myself, with the title “Love as the
 Organizing Principle for Life.” We can apply that working definition of a desire for the deepest communion and
 commitment to the flourishing of others across all the dimensions of life. That’s my take on love.
<hr>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">Interviewed by JUDITH NELSON</h4>
<hr>

Spirit is the foundation for everything - part 2

<h4>BOB BOISTURE speaks with JUDITH NELSON at
 the Spirit of Humanity Forum, held in Reykjavík, Iceland, on 1 June 2019. He shares with us the vision of the Fetzer
 Institute, and the need for personal transformation and love to bring about the changes necessary today to address
 the most pressing issues of humanity and our planet Earth.</h4>
Q: Welcome sir. One of the lovely
 things I read about the Fetzer Institute is its approach to life and the fact that it comes from a foundation of
 love. Can you tell us more about the Institute and this principle of love? How does it work?
BB: I’ll start with John Fetzer, the founder. He
 was born in 1901 and died in 1991, so he lived in every decade of the 20th century and his life had this amazing
 trajectory. He was born in a very small town in the American Midwest, into a fairly conservative, narrow, religious
 environment. The course of his life was an opening to a global spirituality, beginning fairly early in his life when
 he became a student of world religions and practiced within a number of traditions. He was always perhaps grounded
 in his Christian beginnings, but was very open to eastern traditions.
It was really extraordinary because in his public life he became a very successful
 businessman and entrepreneur in the early days of radio and television. He then bought one of the major league
 baseball teams and was a pioneer in putting broadcasting and sports together. He did all this in a culture where if
 you were a businessman you didn’t talk about spirituality and, if you did, you talked about it in the context of the
 Christian tradition. But his passion was this global spiritual vision.
As he got older and accumulated a significant amount of wealth, he became increasingly
 convinced that his calling was to set up an organization, a spiritually-grounded community, that could do its small
 part in helping humanity as a whole to take the next big step in the spiritual journey. The grounding for his vision
 was that the fundamental reality is not atoms and energy, it’s spirit – “Spirit” with a capital S. For him, Spirit
 and Love (with a capital L) were really synonymous.
His vision was this: Love is the core energy that holds everything together. If only we
 would profoundly open our hearts to love, we would be able to take that next big step together in humanity’s
 spiritual journey.
<hr>
<h5 style="text-align: center;">Love is the core energy that holds everything
 together. 
 If only we would profoundly open our hearts to love, 
 we would be able to take that next big step together in 
 humanity’s spiritual journey.</h5>
<hr>
He had this incredible generosity of spirit and saw this as a long term vision; he saw
 it in terms of several centuries for this evolution in our spiritual journey to take place. He knew that he couldn’t
 see the future that far, that only a community capable of continuing renewal could carry that vision forward over
 time.
Unlike a lot of donors who try to say in their wills, “This money has to be used exactly
 for such-and-such,” he said to the community, “Listen for the ring of truth and it will be calling you to create [he
 had this beautiful phrase] this community of freedom. There, you, the community, will discern what the work of the
 foundation will be. The only thing I’m sure of is that the summary will be unconditional love.”
So how about that as a gift to us? We’ve been trying to live by that vision, and be
 worthy of that vision, in the more than 25 years since his death. The fundamental insight we think we’ve come to in
 our life as a community is that Spirit has to be the foundation, the touchstone, the source of guidance and energy
 for everything we do.
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We’re a community of about sixty, which in the world today is enough to have a lot of
 diversity on a lot of dimensions, including spirituality. So the first question is: Can we find a place to stand
 together? And is there spiritual common ground across all our different paths? How do we find it and deepen it, but
 at the same time honor the fact that we get there in very different ways? So we bring our whole community together
 every Tuesday morning for three hours to really work on that challenge, and we do a lot of different things. Most
 importantly, we practice together. We have engaged with a broad range of spiritual practices from both the Abrahamic
 traditions and the Eastern traditions to understand a bit more about our diverse paths and to realize that love is
 all about relationship.
We’ve done something very unusual for an organization – very unique in my experience –
 we’ve taken the time to share our deep stories with each other and that’s been transformative. You can be together
 with people for a long time in an instrumental way and it remains at the surface, but once you know their life
 journey, your connection goes to a much deeper level. We feel like we’re working in a microcosm on what the global
 community needs to be working on, which is how to find that spiritual common ground across our differences, and
 deepen it. And also honor the fact that we reached that common ground on very different paths and make that
 something that’s mutually enriching not dividing.
Q: There are sixty of you in a microcosm, reflecting or hoping to
 reflect what could happen in the world. So how do you feel your influence can go from small to large?
BB: We have this theory of change. It starts with
 the optimistic proposition that the same forces that are pulling us towards the conviction that humanity desperately
 needs spiritually grounded individuals and societal transformation are pulling literally millions of people around
 the world in that direction. The result is that there is an emerging global movement.
I don’t think it’s yet aware of itself as a global movement, but when you really begin
 to connect the dots you find that there are people working on all of the big challenges – whether it’s climate
 change and environmental degradation, social justice or gender equality. They come from a deeply
 spiritually-grounded place, with this same conviction that inner transformation drives outer transformation. If we
 can find each other and realize that together we comprise a comprehensive global movement, it can unleash an energy
 that is powerful enough to enable us to meet all these big existential threats.
Our humble goal is to do what we can with our gifts and resources; to help inspire and
 support the continuing emergence of this global movement. We take that in multiple directions. First, we think that
 one of the things that can really empower this movement is a shared vision. We use the phrase “shared sacred story”:
 at the root of all this is this need and possibility of humanity reclaiming a sense of the sacred in everything.
<hr>
<h5 style="text-align: center;">We feel that humanity can come together 
 in a shared affirmation of sacredness and love, 
 and build a world in which everyone and everything 
 can flourish.</h5>
<hr>
At the most fundamental level, we’ve had this love affair over the past few centuries
 with scientific and rational ways of trying to understand the world. It has produced huge benefits in terms of our
 greater understanding of physical reality, but in the process we have lost the confidence of our spiritual
 intuitions. We see the key is bringing that spiritual way of knowing back into a balanced relationship with science.

We feel that when we do that we open ourselves to the deep discernment of all the great
 traditions: The fundamental reality is not meaningless matter and energy, it’s the cosmic consciousness that holds
 us all in love. That should be the headline for the 21st century. Humanity has in fact spent millennia probing the
 ultimate mystery of existence, and none of the great traditions have come back from that probe and said it’s
 meaningless. They’ve all come back and said it’s sacred. They’ve come back and said the only appropriate human
 response to this sacredness is some mix of awe and gratitude and reverence and, most importantly, love.
We feel that humanity can come together in a shared affirmation of sacredness and love,
 and build a world in which everyone and everything can flourish. It’s a tremendously hopeful vision. It’s not our
 vision, we feel like it’s the vision that is being called forth around the world by the sense that we can’t go on as
 we have been.
We’ve played out the string of an egoistic approach to life because we’re realizing
 that, at rock bottom, it pulls us towards despair and separation and fear. We don’t have to live from that place; if
 we wake up into this knowledge of the sacredness of reality, we open our hearts to each other and to the natural
 world in a way that everything and everybody flourishes.
<hr>
<h5 style="text-align: center;">Our conviction is that the only thing powerful 
 enough to create that world of flourishing is love. 
 And love begins in each and every heart.</h5>
<hr>
One thing we’re doing is bringing together the voices that can help co-create that
 shared sacred story and then take it out into the world.
The second thing is: Our conviction is that the only thing powerful enough to create
 that world of flourishing is love. And love begins in each and every heart. So we focus on how to inspire and
 support as many people as possible in committing to that inner journey of opening our hearts. In the simplest terms,
 we feel that if we go deep enough inside, we encounter that transcendent reality that’s much deeper than ourselves –
 the sacred reality of love. And that encounter is transformative.
<img decoding="async" alt=""
 class="lazyload w-100"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/spirit3_c8307a6865.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-10T04:37:25.212Z">

One of the wonderful things about this present moment is that our technology can help us
 provide support for the spiritual journey to everybody around the world, whatever tradition they’re in. We want to
 do our little bit for that.
We also feel that something special happens when we come together, in person and with
 the natural world, so another of our initiatives is to support and strengthen the web of retreat centers around the
 world.
The last thing I’ll say is that individual transformation has to connect in powerful
 ways to societal transformation, because when you look at the world through this lens of love and hope, and you ask
 “What needs to change?” pretty much everything needs to change. Whether it’s our educational systems, our economy or
 our health care systems, how can we help make that happen?
We’re starting to put a tremendous amount of energy right now in trying to renew our
 ability to come together and engage in collective action. Certainly in the United States, and in too many countries
 around the world, our societies are pulling apart and our politics are breaking down into division. So we have a
 major initiative we’re calling “Healing the Heart of American Democracy.” We’re stepping into the public
 conversation and saying that the polarization and toxicity in our common life has reached such a point that it’s an
 existential threat to our free society and there’s no political solution. This is not going to be solved by one side
 or the other winning. This is a challenge that has to be addressed at the deeper heart level. We’ve become so good
 at de-humanizing and even demonizing the people we disagree with that we can’t come together and do anything. We
 can’t come together and address climate change; we can’t come together and address racism and inequality. So, the
 first challenge is to move from this place of de-humanization to re-humanization and that’s precisely about this
 inner work.
We’ve had some interesting conversations here at the Spirit of Humanity Forum about the
 bad things that happen when we try to work for a better world from a place of anger. That’s something I’ve certainly
 experienced in more than three decades of working on non-profit advocacy causes in Washington – the destruction of
 the angry advocate, however worthy their goals.
So we are inviting people to consider that the most important work for any of us who are
 inspired to help save the world is to commit to this inner work of transformation, because only when we can get
 ourselves to a place of sufficient wholeness, inner peace and love, do we have any chance of bridging these
 polarizing divides.
To be continued
<hr>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">Interview by JUDITH NELSON</h4>
<hr>

Spirit is the foundation for everything - part 1

Brené is a research professor at the University of Houston, where she hold the Huffington Foundation Endowed Chair. She has spent the last 20 years studying courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy. She's the author of six #1 NYT bestsellers, and the host of <a href="https://brenebrown.com/podcast-show/unlocking-us/">Unlocking Us</a> and <a href="https://brenebrown.com/podcast-show/dare-to-lead/">Dare to Lead</a>.

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