“To the mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders.” — Lao Tzu Another day, and once again Spirit has gently expanded my awareness here in this wonderful land. Today I began a three-day program that felt less like a class and more like nourishment for my soul. I arrived with curiosity and an open heart, ready to receive whatever wisdom wished to meet me. The focus was the breath—our most faithful companion. I often share that the breath is the bridge between the huma

“Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions.” — Dalai Lama There are a handful of spiritual teachers whose words have shaped the very fabric of my life, and two of them have been on my heart so tenderly these days. I deeply miss the serene presence of Thich Nhat Hanh and his simple, elegant view of life. And now, as I walk through India—the land of sages, saints, and seekers—I can feel how close I am to the Dalai Lama, whose laughter alone could l

“We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.” – Anaïs Nin Tonight, as I sat in deep conversation with my dear friend Nivritti, this quote echoed through my heart like a temple bell. It landed with such force and clarity that I felt my entire inner landscape shift. Here we are—two women watching the same streets, the same people, the same colorful symphony of India—and yet perceiving it through completely different lenses. I look at India as a guest in a sacred l

“Let me not pray to be sheltered from dangers, but to be fearless in facing them.” Rabindranath Tagore Today was a good day—because I chose it to be so. Here in India, the dawn greeted me earlier than I expected, wrapped in a kind of gentle freshness that whispered, “Begin again.” I sat quietly and listened. India speaks in a language of sound—unfamiliar, enchanting, ancient. My ears strain at first to name what they’re hearing, yet somehow the rhythm feels strangely famil

Outside the gudwara “You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give. Kahlil Gibran It was a sacred day for my beloved host family—a celebration of sweet Vanya’s sixteenth birthday. In this culture, family is not simply a bond; it is a living temple of love, honor, and devotion. As the clock struck midnight, we gathered around her with joyful voices and warm hearts, singing into the new year of her life. But the re

“Concentrate on a single feeling – love for the Lord – while chanting.” Unknown There is a sacred hush that falls upon the soul when we chant with intention. It is as if every syllable becomes a bridge—one that carries us from distraction into devotion, from mind into heart, from human effort into Divine embrace. Years ago, during a beautiful conversation with my dear friend Karen Palmer, she shared that she was beginning nightly chanting and asked if I would join her. Kar

“If we could simply live in the light of our bodies being temples of the Holy Spirit, our daily life would be transformed.” ― Elizabeth George Growing up in the American “Bible Belt,” I was surrounded by churches of every size and style. Yet I never truly understood what a temple was—not in the sacred, energetic sense—until much later in life. Now here I am, in India, a land said to have anywhere from 650,000 to over 2 million temples, each one a heartbeat of devotion. Toda

“I read somewhere once that in the 1960s, fiction writers were troubled by the notion that life was becoming stranger and more sensational than made-up stories could ever hope to be. Our new problem - more profound, I think - is that life no longer resembles a story. Events intersect but don't progress. People interact but don't make contact.” Walter Kirn There is something profoundly humbling about being a stranger in a strange land. It wasn’t on my bucket list to be thou

“Thanksgiving and praise open in your consciousness the way for spiritual growth and supply to come to you. Spirit pushes Itself out into visible manifestation as soon as a channel is opened through which It can flow. You should be thankful for everything at all times. Realize that all power to think, and speak, and act comes from God, and that He is with you now, guiding and inspiring you.” Paramahansa Yogananda Today, as much of America pauses to gather around tables fil

“Where Ganges, woods, Himalayan caves, and men dream God — I am hallowed; my body touched that sod.” Paramahansa Yogananda For more than half my life, the teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda have been a steady flame lighting my path. When I first opened Autobiography of a Yogi , it felt as though the pages themselves breathed. I devoured every word, hungry for the depth, truth, and love that poured from his life story. There were countless meditations in which I called out