If someone asked you about the spiritual science of ancient India, what would you say? Would you recognize your own exposure to one of humankind’s earliest and richest spiritual traditions?  How many of your current spiritual practices are inspired by this ancient heritage? The growing presence of this wisdom in today’s world is truly astounding--from yoga classes to meditation workshops to consciousness-raising books and lectures. People are re-discovering this wealth of spiritual knowledge that has the power to change, awaken, and heal everything that matters to us.

My own quest for spiritual knowledge and healing led me to India decades ago. The training that I received there lit a flame in my heart that continues to guide me and empower my life’s work. Serving today as a spiritual teacher and energy healer, I draw from the joy, peace, balance, and connection to Source that I discovered years ago in my studies of this wisdom handed down for thousands of years.

Why has interest in the spiritual science of ancient India grown so quickly in the modern West? Early in the twentieth century, when master teachers from India like Parmahansa Yogananda, author of the classic Autobiography of a Yogi, brought their wisdom traditions to America, they were welcomed by truth-seekers eager to learn about these ancient secrets of human life and the Divine. In the self-exploratory era of the 1960s, cultural icons like the Beatles traveled to India for study, meditation entered the popular imagination, and the Hindu sacred text, Bhagavad Gita, began to appear on bookshelves across America. More and more this ancient wisdom speaks to a modern world overwhelmed by the increasing pace of life, the rapid change, the flood of new information, environmental danger and the accompanying loss of community, meaning, and personal connection to nature and to Source.

Today’s communication revolution brings the principles of yoga and meditation, mindfulness, positive thinking, and compassion into the everyday world of everyday people. From celebrities attending (and teaching!) yoga classes to schools scheduling daily meditation time for children, the practice of mindfulness is growing in popular culture, opening new doors to spiritual well-being for millions. In my work today, I see a huge blossoming of interest in the study of energy healing and amazing growth in the rate of students initiating into higher and higher spiritual levels. Spirit is aware that our world-in-crisis needs as many conscious people as possible who are eager to serve.

What does the wisdom of ancient India hold for anyone today looking for personal growth, fulfillment, happiness, and purpose? First, embrace the willingness to take an active role in study and practice. Here are five important steps on your path to an awakened spirit:

1. Step into meditation. If you are already meditating daily, study all the ways in which meditation can heal and strengthen your spirit. If you are not meditating yet, how thrilled you will be to discover its power!
2. Remember to be mindful. Living each moment with your full presence is the key to joy and peace in a world of change and uncertainty. Your awareness allows you to enjoy life and be open to all avenues that lead to love and connection.
3. Think positive. What you look for, you will find. What you think, you will become. Learn to create personal well-being through a positive outlook. By honoring the gift of life with a grateful attitude, you radiate love and kindness that all can share.
4. Practice compassion. Recognize the unity of all creation. Your compassionate outlook and loving service helps build the common good even on the smallest level.
5. Consider expanding your spiritual practice. If you're curious to learn more about further advancing your spiritual life through the wisdom traditions of ancient India, click here to discover how.