The path was obscured with pine trees that bowed under heavy snow and ice. We could push forward and risk damaging them, or we could turn back. For the past two days a blizzard had clenched Three Dog Farm in an icy fist. My dog, Ranger, and I had headed out to take...
God created this world with the good intention of making all living beings lead a happy and peaceful life. All living beings seem to have the same intention. We don’t see any living being who doesn’t want to be happy. People work hard to have a long life of good...
These two old friends—Thich Nhat Hahn (a Buddhist monk) and Brother David Steindl-Rast (a Benedictine monk)—talk about their common work for peace; gratefulness bringing one into the now; the powers to let go, to forgive and to understand; and the power of community. ...
Have you ever seen your own face? No. What you see in a mirror is not your face. It’s a reflection. If, to your great surprise, your face looks horrible and distorted in the mirror, do you jump up and run to the hospital? No, you get another mirror. You know that the...
As March 2022 begins, it feels like our world is in a state of upheaval. The seasons are changing and many places in the world are lifting COVID restrictions, trying to transition back to a more “normal” way of life. But the seasons and the pandemic are overshadowed...
As we celebrate Black History Month in the U.S., and reflect on the actual meaning of Valentine’s Day, let us be inspired to answer the call to serve those in need. Saint Valentine’s life is just one enduring example of selfless service. Roses and chocolates aside,...
What do you want to create? If your goal is to be useful to humanity, then it’s a creative goal. In fact, simply by thinking, we’re always creating something. But, our creation, our goal, should be useful to people. With that type of goal, you can do anything you...
Newly discovered video of the late great Jazz virtuoso, musician and composer, Alice Coltrane (Swami Turiyasangitananda) recorded live at Satchidananda Ashram–Yogaville in 1993. Swamini performed live for her beloved Guru, Sri Swami Satchidananda and the Yogaville...
Here is my radical proposition: All attempts at growth motivated by disguised self-hatred ultimately fail, and often cause harm. Being “good enough” is only a thought, a mental construct. Nobody can be “good enough,” because that’s just a thought. If we imagine some...
Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet is a new Book by the beloved Zen Master Thich Nhat Hahn. He says, “When you wake up and you see that the Earth is not just the environment, the Earth is us, you touch the nature of interbeing. And at that moment you can have real...
In this unique offering, the Be Here Now Network and Alan Watts Organization have curated a podcast featuring words of wisdom from Ram Dass and Alan Watts. Watts offers his far-reaching Buddhist, Taoist and meditative wisdom, playing off of and complementing Ram Dass’...
There is a beautiful saying in one of the Hindu scriptures that says: “The body comes first. Before you begin to do anything, whatever your action is going to be, you need the body to do it.” The body is really and truly your buddy. People who want to be well and do...
Satya, truth, stands second in Patanjali’s list of virtues or “restraints.” Most often rendered with respect to speech, like ahimsa, satya broadens to include thought and deed. Under the rubric of ahimsa, the commentators advocate that truth not be spoken unkindly,...
In the last installment of this six-part series, Eddie Stern brings his analysis of Yoga and neuroscience to a close and a final, very illuminating conclusion. Let’s come back to Kriya Yoga to pull this all together. The components of Kriya Yoga, as mentioned earlier,...
There is nothing more powerful than the human mind. The mind has a tremendous capacity, so it can be trained to do anything. We can see this in the mental accomplishments or siddhis. If your thought force is strong enough, just by simply looking at an ordinary piece...
"Climate Emergency" is an online workshop hosted by Integral Yoga Institute of San Francisco and the Spiritual Action Initiative on Nov 20, 2021 (from 11 am – 12:30 pm Pacific). We are witnessing numerous world crises unfold right before our eyes, from disastrous...