Brad4d Savasana

We often get exasperated when we feel our lives aren’t going anywhere. During those moments, look back on your day. What did you do that aligns you with your aims? More importantly, what do you do out of routine or habit that doesn’t serve a current aim?

When my mind is excessively active, I find sitting in meditation to be difficult. During those phases in my life, I find running to be a meditative practice. If you spend that time focused on the body, you’d be surprised how calm you feel afterwards. You can also do this while walking if running isn’t your thing.

Philosopher Seneca and the author of The Cloud of Unknowing both write about how we use our time. Each moment is a gift to us, so it’s up to us to use those moments to nourish our souls rather than deplete them.

How easily we get led astray by our curiosity! Although curiosity can be a good thing, we must discern what is essential from what is interesting. What we find interesting can easily pull us down a rabbit hole and pull us away from what is truly essential.

We like to wear certain clothes to “make a statement,” but what is it really communicating? If it’s a message of grievance or resistance, do you intend to have a rational discussion with others about it, or do you just want to assert your need to be right? Most of the times, it reveals the place where we are identified. In that sense, we are not free.

We’ve heard others speak and write about “finding” our spiritual (or authentic, true, sacred) self. We’re led to believe it’s a blissful journey. Nope. It involves a lot of shedding and inner strength. The reward, however, is that we learn to walk on our own.

We might go about our lives thinking we’re producing good fruit, but sometimes a small amount of crud can blossom within us. We might not notice this because we’re externally focused. We might not notice how something from our environment has interacted with something inside us. That might keep us stuck. It’s up to us to take a look inside.

Our passions can easily lead us astray. The root of the word “passion” refers to being led beyond our control. The spiritual traditions teach us to balance passion with reason. That’s where wisdom comes in.

Many charlatans promise enlightenment in one quick, easy course or workshop. Enlightenment is not quick, nor is it easy. It requires a long practice of drawing inward. When the world tempts us with sensual gratification, that only draws us further from enlightenment.

Many people, particularly during moments of suffering, ask where God has been. We demand for God to be visible in the macro moments of our lives, but we fail to see God working in the micro moments. We might have missed those subtle hints in the small moments. The Examen, a daily Jesuit prayer practice, is a way to see where God is working in your day-to-day episodes. This episode takes you throug...

The book The Cloud of Unknowing describes a “cloud of forgetting,” which is where we place the thoughts, images, and attitudes about the world during meditation. Over time, we begin to see things a little differently, recognizing how easily we get swept up into things that only serve to disturb our inner peace.

We often choose messages we want to hear. People who are popular in the media and social media are continually monitoring what people want to hear so they remain relevant. But sometimes we need to hear messages that challenge us. These messages call us out of complacency and conformity so we can learn and grow.

When Jesus healed the deaf man, he said, “Ephphatha,” which means, “be opened.” How have we closed ourselves off to the messages we need to hear? In clinging to our desires and attachments, we might not sense messages around us that tell us to modify our path.

I hear too often, “I can’t meditate.” We believe we need to sit down and silence our minds with the snap of a finger or sound of a bell. It’s not that easy. Our bodies get fidgety. Our monkey minds dart from tree to tree. Through patience and perseverance, you eventually get more accustomed to sitting.

I often hear people saying they don’t go to church because they “don’t get anything” out of it. So they find churches that will entertain them. If you consider church as a “public prayer” to complement your private prayers, you might find it plays an integral role in spiritual development. My guess is that this podcast will get the least number of listens because many in our society eschew any rel...

Who is in charge—you or God? You or the universe? We often forget, and we limit our relationship with God or the universe to what we get out of it. We think little of what we give to the relationship. Then we wonder why God or the universe doesn’t answer our prayers. Perhaps it’s because we’re out of accord in this relationship.

The Gospel of Mary (Magdalene) is one of the books omitted from The Bible. It offers more esoteric teachings, even though they don’t contradict Christian teachings. In fact, I hear echoes of The Upanishads in it. In this passage, we are told that our essential nature is good, but we make life complicated when we look to the unnatural for contentment.

We often speak first and reflect later. Rather than really think about the consequences of our words, how often do we consider if they are universally true? Our assumptions and inferences are sometimes incorrect, so we always leave room for listening and learning.

We can walk through life denying our imperfections or wallowing in them. These extremes can bring unnecessary suffering and disconnects us from humanity. When we acknowledge, accept, and work with our imperfections, we have a little more compassion for others.

I’m fascinated how many false prophets and healers come forth with a “new” way of healing. They charm others with their curated and flashy media and make false promises of healing. But we remain tormented. The wisdom of the ancients has transcended time. It points us to the True North.

Patience is not only a virtue, but it is also a gift. Patience stretches our faith wide and deep, creating tears within us that give space for God to fill. When we release our demand to have our needs satisfied quickly, we develop inner strength as we rest in the unknowing.

How wonderful life would be if we didn’t insult one another! Yet sometimes we get easily offended by things that have nothing to do with us. Or we get offended because society tells us we should feel upset. If we walk around expecting everyone to tread carefully around us for fear of upsetting us, we’ll never learn about ourselves.

It’s a common desire in the U.S. to be “free” to do what we want. But we also need to remember that what we do can have a profound impact—good or bad—on others. Rather than recklessly choose to engage in behaviors that might bring harm to ourselves or others, let’s remember that our actions create large ripples in the communities in which we live.

Many of our desires are rooted in the material. Even if food is an essential need, we DESIRE something delectable. If we need comfort or security, we DESIRE the sexual. If we aim to desire things rooted in the spiritual, what we receive or attain is more sustainable.

We like “hacks.” We like easy. We look for shortcuts to things. But as quickly as they come, like a downpour, they will quickly fall away because we don’t give them time to take root. With the spiritual life, we must progress slowly, enduring the disciplines and teachings so they can permeate deeply into our souls.