Living as Light: The Essence of Spiritual Awakening

Hey, one more thing before you go.In a world that often feels fractured, where the noise of daily life drowns out the whispers of the soul, one voice rises with clarity, compassion, and timeless wisdom. Swami Nithyananda has walked the path of joy and freedom, not as an escape, but as a return. A return to presence, to love, to light within.And today, we're going to show you how you have the opportunity to do the same. I'm your host, Michael Hirsch. Welcome to One More Thing before you go.From NPR to Radio Ireland, from Fulbright grants to the sacred lineage of yoga tradition, she bridges ancient teachings with modern lives. Swami is a spiritual leader, a spiritual teacher, an author, and the owner of Awake Yoga Meditation center in Baltimore.Today we explore what it means to be truly awake, not just conscious, but alive. And this episode is a meditation. It's a revelation. It's a call to remember who you really are. So welcome to the show, Swami.

Thank you so much, Michael. It's wonderful to be with you. Thank you for the kindness of your introduction.

Let's begin where all journeys start. Where'd you grow up?

I grew up in Washington State, so about an hour north of Spokane, and that's the part of the state that's snow country. And so nature is a force to be reckoned with. I grew up connected to the natural world in every way, loving the natural world in every way.

You know, I can relate to that as I grew up in Colorado and Colorado, like Washington, Oregon, all of these that show Mother Nature in its glory, between the mountains and the trees and the streams and the birds and the bees and the animals and the wildlife. And it's a unique opportunity for us to connect with Mother Nature, isn't it?

I totally agree. And I would say that it creates an awe, like a sense of wonder in relation to the largeness, the vastness.And also then there's like a humility and a respect, and then maybe also when those are in place, then there's courage that arises as well.

Absolutely. Well, and we all have to remember just a side note that this is our home, and we are to live in conjunction with Mother Nature.So please connect with Mother Nature and take care of Mother Nature. What about your family? Do you have brothers, sisters?

I have two younger brothers. One of them lives in Georgia, one in.

In California, a little across the country. Where you want to be when you grew up. I know. I know that you. You teach your professor as well. You went to college.Would you want to be when you grow up before you hit this? Because I know that you had. You had a revelation. You had an awakening, which we'll talk about. But let's.Let's talk a little bit about what you wanted to be.

That's a really good question. I remember when I was in high school, I knew I wanted to get my PhD, and so I did that. And I was a professor at University for 27 years full time.Ten of those years, I was actually also serving as swami at Awake Yoga Meditation Center. And then I am now professor emerita, which means I retired from serving as a professor.

I can almost say I'm sergeant emeritus, kind of.

You can, definitely.

I can. Well, thank you for being an educator. Thank you for teaching young individuals the ways of the world.And so I appreciate you from that perspective as well. You were consecrated in 2014, and you've spoken in about 10 countries. How did you get involved in that? What launched you into that?

So that's a really good question. I started a yoga asana practice. And so asanas are physical yoga. And I think, like, when people think of yoga, often they think of asana.That's like you go to a yoga studio, you do yoga postures. And a friend of mine said, you should do yoga. And then one week later, another friend said, you should do yoga.And I said, okay, the universe is telling me something. And I started to do yoga.So for a couple of years, I think it was maybe every Monday, I would pick my friend up, so she lives kind of between me and the yoga studio. Every Monday, we would go to yoga. And so that was like my entry point into yoga.Pretty soon after I started the physical asana postures, I started meditation as well. And then maybe six years after I'd been doing that, I met my teacher.And when I met my teacher, my teacher was Swami Shankarnanda, who founded our meditation center in Baltimore. He founded it in 1974. And he walked into the room, and he was like sunshine in human form. And there was just like this light bulb that went off.I was like, this is the real deal. I am where I am supposed to be. And so that was a tremendous unfoldment and a tremendous awakening, as you said.

I love it when the universe puts us where we're supposed to be at the right time, and then it defines and shows us what our purpose is. We all want purpose in life. We all want a direction.We all want happiness and fulfillment and the opportunity to be able to have those and grasp those and understand them. And sounds like you walk. You were at the right place at the right time.

I would agree with you. And I mean, I would actually say for every listener that we're always in the right place at the right time.So from my perspective, there is almost like a. What's the right way to put this? We're always moving toward our destiny, and there's always guidance and there's always support.And you were sharing a little bit of your journey. Sometimes the transformation involves pain, and so respect and sympathy for those who have pain involved in their transformation.But sometimes what happens is in the event of pain, it inspires us to go even deeper so that we learn what's below the pain. Like, what is it that is always pain free in us, and then we can move through and move into the next chapter, whatever the next chapter is.And you're a perfect example of that. Like, there's always more light. There's always more to unfold.

I appreciate that recognition. Thank you. It has been a journey for me. And as my community understands and knows, you know, we.I get a little emotional when I think back upon this journey because it at times was extremely difficult. But I learned so much during that transformation.And even though I did let go of a different chapter in my life, like you said, we may come to a new chapter, I was given the opportunity to recognize that chapter.And then once I recognized it, the tools fell in place, the opportunity fell in place, and then I felt an inner peace that was much, much more expanded. You know, I have conversations all over the world that I would never have had if I was still a police officer.

And I'm sure you were of such service when you were a police officer. Like, that's just who you are. And so. Right. So for every listener, I would say, like, you're already of service being where you are right now.But also, we're never done unfolding.So if there is change or transformation in your life, I would actually say if you can, as much as possible, embrace it and enjoy it, Bring the energy of love and interest and curiosity into it, and it makes the movement forward more filled with ease.

Oh, absolutely, absolutely. That. That's wisdom. Wisdom. That's what we're here for, wisdom. And. And you're throwing it at me. The Buddha spoke of being awake, and I know that.And I'll delineate this, I think is this. This is the difference between, you know, what's unfortunately was going around when people are saying, oh, you're woke up.This is not that being awake. I think what we just mentioned a few minutes ago is a deeper understanding, a connection with the universe.In how we are all connected, including Mother Nature. So can you help us understand how we can experience awakening in our own lives from that perspective?

Yes. Thank you for the question and the observation. And I would agree with your characterization. So the Buddha means one who is awake.And one of the teachings of the Buddha was, the awake nature that is within me is also within you.So he was saying to every human on the planet, if we let go of the things that block our awareness, what happens is there's a natural unfoldment of light, there's a natural unfoldment of kindness. Another way to put this, I'm using my words now, but every human carries wisdom.And so no matter who you are, I'm not talking about book learning, I'm not talking about did you graduate from high school? I'm talking about every human innately carries wisdom. And so it helps us when we encounter this teaching.It helps us turn within and recognize and give ourselves credit for the hard earned wisdom that every human on the planet has acquired. And a lot of times this comes to us through our culture, through our families, through our connection with nature, as you said.But if we're in contact with who we are, that is incredibly healing. My teacher said, there's nothing more healing than remembering who you are.And my understanding is that the Buddha is saying the same thing, that each of us has this energy of aliveness, this energy of curiosity, this energy of being able to pay attention and learn and grow and expand, expand and keep exploring.And so it gives us permission in daily life to, in the midst of doing the dishes, in the midst of having your conversations with your family, in the midst of going to work, to have just this sense of freshness, this sense of humor, this sense of I'm encountering this moment for the first time. There's never been another moment exactly like this.And so when we encounter ourselves in this way, what happens is there's a natural kindness that is possible, there's a natural self forgiveness, There's a natural fresh start that comes every moment. And then there's also a fresh start that comes in our relationships as well.And so I can give example of people I know who've been married more than 50 years and they still greet each other with surprise and delight. Oh, sweetie. And they're just delighted and surprised to see each other.And so that's the invitation is to encounter yourself with that delay and that surprise, like greeting yourself in that way, greeting your life in that way. And then what happens is you're greeting your relationships in that way you're greeting your work in that way.Anyone that you encounter on the bus or the train or walking down the street, you're greeting them with that natural kindness as well.

I, I, I appreciate, I appreciate that very much.I mean, it's unique, especially in this day and age, to have people that are married 30 years, 40 years, 50 years and so forth and still have that same connection that they had when they met day one and allow that to come through. But sometimes we in life, life gets in the way. And when life gets in the way, sometimes we forget that.

I agree. And I would say it is just a process of remembering.And so that's what I think the Buddha is saying is sort of like we're letting go of the things that block us.So I mean, if we've experienced heartbreak or we've experienced deep challenges or pain or trauma or shame, these are things that we can heal when we come back into self. Remembrance of this aliveness, this curiosity, this quickness, this vitality within ourselves. And so it's tremendously self healing.And you're saying as well, like it has potential to heal our relationship if we're not feeling, feeling that energy of freshness in terms of our family, in terms of our spouse, whoever it is that we're interacting with.

Well, and I love what you said earlier.It's kind of interesting to know ordinary moments like washing the dishes or walking the dog becomes a portal to our own presence and how we stand in that presence. Right?

I would say absolutely. And I would say one of the things my teacher said shortly before he left the body was enjoy every moment.And this is actually possible if we're present. If we're just present, we're just noticing it's possible to enjoy every moment.Putting on your shoes in the morning, coming back from work, taking off your shoes at night, it becomes just, I'm trying to think of how to say this, but if we're just here and now, in this very moment, everything is here, everything is already here.And so it helps us to arrive right where we are and to notice that all, all the love in the universe is actually present within my heart in this moment. And this is true always from moment to moment.And so we're never done in terms of our ability to keep growing, to keep learning, to keep expanding, to keep being more helpful, to keep being more hopeful, to bring the energy of kindness and to bring the energy of cheerfulness wherever it is that we find ourselves.

Yeah, I agree. And I think that, you know, to reiterate a Little bit of what you said, you know, it is. We get monotonous. We get into a rhythm.We get into, like, a pattern. As you get up in the morning, as you. You have coffee or you have tea or whatever you have whatever you have first thing, and then you go from there.You do this, and there you do this, and there you do this. It gets monotonous, it gets mundane, and it gets. It gets kind of slow.But when you have some kind of an incident or an awakening that takes place, you get to understand that every instant, every moment that we've got is a valued moment.And take, you know, you take for granted things like being able to use your hands or seeing or hearing or listening or go on the back patio and just watch the sunrise and understand the. The immense beauty in. In watching the day beginning or the day end. And I had to realize that when I went through my painful journey.I've been through eight operations. I don't know if you had known that, but I've been through eight operations. And I mean, I learned to walk again through three of them.So it is, you know, pain at the end of a story, as you said earlier, is kind of the beginning of an awakening for some of us. But once we grasp that you value each and every moment and second that you. That you have what we have, I.

Would agree with you very much. I mean, thank you for articulating that so beautifully. And it's so heartfelt, the way that you share your story.And I would say that for every listener that. So I know that sometimes I have the blessing of talking to a lot of people who move through a lot of things.And I know that sometimes if you're going through the feeling of pain, it can feel as if you're stuck. And there's part of your brain that is wondering, am I going to just stay in this feeling of pain forever? But if you. I'll.I'll just give, like, a very simple practice. Just breathe into your heart.And I know that sounds so simple, but if you just take a deep breath into your heart and you breathe the energy of kindness into your own heart, you breathe the energy of light into your own heart. You breathe the energy of hope into your own heart. You breathe a positive intention into your own heart, which is, I am moving forward.Things are getting better. I am open to learning. I am open to growing. I am open to understanding. I am open to insight.I am open to unfold and be of service in whatever way is highest and best. And just keep breathing into your Heart, anytime you want to connect with that energy of forward movement, it'll help melt away that.That dense feeling and that feeling that can arise where we start to feel like, okay, am I going to just stay stuck in this feeling of pain right now, in this moment? So keep breathing into your heart. Keep opening.And as that happens, what happens is we open, we uplift ourselves, and then the energy of the solutions become available to us.And so whatever healing, whatever position we need to be guided to, whatever healing modality we need to be guided to, whatever physical therapy we need to be guided to, it will just naturally, step by step, unfold for us.

And that's brilliant. I think from what I understand from that, we can basically transform our pain, our fear and our limitations into joy and freedom.It gives us the opportunity to be able to do that. And I experienced it myself, you know, to be honest. And it is a revelation that you can feel soul deep. Yes. It goes into your soul.

I would completely agree with that. And it. What it reminds me of continually.I have such respect and such, like, if I allow myself to, I would cry, but I won't, because I don't want to embarrass you or anybody else.But just like there's so much beauty and courage in the human heart, in the human spirit, and all of your listeners, there's so much beauty and courage in every single listener. It takes a lot of courage to be here in this amazing human body.And from my perspective, from the perspective of the Yavik teachings, each of us is light, Each of us is much vaster than this experience that we're having here in our human body. So our human body is a vehicle that we use to navigate time and space. And so one thing that really helps, I think, is I'm blessed.I have a. I think it's maybe a 2015 car, a little car. I'm blessed to have this car that I drive, but I don't identify myself with that car. I know that it's a vehicle I'm driving.And from the yogic perspective, the body is actually the same way. The body is a vehicle that I am blessed to drive right now, but I don't identify myself with the body.And so that gives me more freedom and it gives me less a sense of being confined. So if the body is experiencing something challenging, I know that's not the full story of who I am. That is not who I am forever.It's an experience I'm passing through. And this is actually true for any human thought, for any human feeling. For any human situation that arises, it's temporary. We are moving through it.And so on the one hand, this means we enjoy. You were talking about this. We enjoy the beautiful moments of life, knowing how fresh they are, how precious they are, how irreplaceable they are.There's never another moment exactly like this one. And so you just notice and you appreciate as if every moment is like this jewel on a necklace that we're creating through our lives.But also, if you're moving through something painful, you know, this too is passing. I'm already moving through it.And so we're able to move more lightly through what we would call the positive experiences of life, but also through what. What we would humanly call the negative experiences of life as well. And so that does bring an inner joy and an inner brightness and an inner freedom.And it's available to every human on the planet. The really good news is we don't have to earn this. There's nothing we do to deserve this. It's with all of us always. It's the truth of our being.

That's brilliant. It brings up so many. Brings up so many questions. We'd be here for a couple of days. Beyond the edge of what we think. You know, you talk about truth.So beyond the edge of what we think are lies or what society and culture may tell us or imply to us. Do you think the truth of who we. We've always been is still accessible within all of us?Because I know that we grow up in certain situations, certain atmospheres, certain things. And I won't take this into a religious aspect of it, but I grew up Catholic, but I'm not a practicing Catholic.I have a different approach to spirituality and the connection in the world because I felt restricted by the teachings and the practices of the Catholic Church. In some things I have found didn't apply in that. Again, it's a longer conversation, but.But ultimately, from that perspective, do you think going beyond the edge of what we think are lies is the truth of who we have always been still here accessible to us?

So I would say, I mean, thank you for sharing that. And I would say so any listener of any background can meditate. So we teach meditation at awake yoga, meditation. Anyone can meditate. And so we.We do have people who would identify as Catholic or Jewish or Buddhist or Hindu or spiritual rather than religious. And they meditate. And so just for anyone to know, it's accessible and it's available to all.And what you realize in meditation is the light within yourself. And so the Light is always there, even if we temporarily lose contact with it.And so, yes, I would say for every human on the planet, the light is present within us. It is the truth of our being. It's the core of our being. And I would also say, so let me think of how to say this.Some people, I think, have a natural connection with the light within themselves. And so for every listener, I would invite you to think of where do you feel connected to the truth of who you really are.And so for me, I mentioned, nature is one aspect of that.For me, for some people, it might be dancing, or it might be singing, or it might be working with children, or it might be working with elders, or it might be serving as a police officer or in some other capacity.So for every person, we have these natural points of connection, these lights within ourselves that are just completely true to our being, they're also connected to our unique talents. Each of us has unique talents and unique skill sets.Those things that come easily to you and they might not come easily to your sibling, even though you grew up in the same circumstances and vice versa. Some things might be easy for your sibling that are less easy for you. And so those are entry points.Those are some of the gifts that our soul has brought here to share through us. We all have them. And so it's a really wonderful practice to not compare yourselves to anyone else. You're not better than anyone else.You're also not worse than anyone else. And it's just giving yourself permission to notice.Where are the moments, where are the talents, where are the skill sets that are just true to me, they're natural to me. I'm able to connect with unconditional kindness, with a sense of sharing, with a sense of spontaneity, a sense of curiosity, a sense of interest.And I would say this is also like, I know several people who are doctors or surgeons, and there's a lot of work involved in the training and preparation to be a doctor or surgeon, and then to be a doctor or surgeon is also a lot of work. But if you have that light within yourself, it doesn't feel hard.Even while you're moving through all of the long hours and even while you're studying and even while you're finessing and continuing to improved your skill sets and your ability to be of service, it doesn't feel hard. Even though to someone else it would feel completely impossible.And so for each person who's listening to really practice self inquiry and practice self observation, and then trust those talents, trust those skill sets, from my perspective, those are divine gifts. Every human has them.And so part of it is to give ourselves permission to embrace them and to give ourselves permission to trust the light that is within us. And I would also say a really wonderful byproduct of that is then one is able to trust the light that is within others as well.So when we're in contact with the light within ourselves, then we start to notice actually the light is present in the hearts of all beings. And when we have that awareness, it frees and empowers. This all happens silently, it happens wordlessly.That it frees and empowers anyone that we interact with insofar as they would like to. To share the light of their being, to share the goodness, to share the kindness, to share the generosity. And there's. It's just a natural spontaneity.If we are coming from the highest and the best, it empowers and frees others to come from the highest and the best too.And so our experience of ourselves, of our lives, of our relationships, of our work, of our world really does transform when we come and get to contact and we trust the light within ourselves.

I agree with that. I think that, you know, sometimes we don't recognize that we are. Well, I can't. I can't say that.I think when you try to interact with other people and you do it in a very positive way or a negative way, you see, you see the effect on that other individual around you, whether it be positive or negative, you can see it, you can feel it, you can see it. You can feel the tension in the air. If it's negative, you can see the stress and the strain on that. And the same thing with positive.You can feel it, you can see it. You can see it in a smile, you can see it in joy. You can see it in their face lighting up compared to the other side.So I think we all, we all have that opportunity. And a little bit of what you were talking about, I think, is finding our purpose and maybe our highest purpose.I had to learn to redefine my purpose and understand that one chapter closed for me. One chapter opened for me and allowed me to see that I thought I had one purpose in my life completely. And I was driven to that.I enjoyed what I was doing and I thought, this is who I. I liked it earlier because not many people recognize I wasn't just a cop as a job. It was who I, who I am. I, I still to this day, that's who I am.And it, I think, allows us to where we all want to have access to our highest purpose in a way that we feel grounded and useful. I think how can we access that highest purpose?

I agree with you so much. So I was actually just looking at a study that showed that if humans go.So this is a classic teaching from the yogic tradition to not sort of go through the world at the control of your senses. So you're not just going through the world pursuing sensory pleasures. And this was a contemporary study of people in this country published in 2017.75% of the people in the study were going through life just seeking sensory pleasure. And that was associated with increased stress levels and increased inflammation markers. The people who.25% of the people in the study had a sense of purpose that was associated with decreased stress levels, and it was associated with decreased inflammation markers. And this was true across all ages, across all races, across all educational levels, across all backgrounds, across.And it was also true that if you have a sinful purpose, then it's giving you a protective effect. Even if you're going through very difficult times in your life, it still decreases stress levels and it decreases inflammation markers.And so there's an immediate benefit to just. In this moment, I would actually say it's quite simple.In this moment, I open and I allow the higher self, the light within me, whatever your word for it is the divine, the universe, to help me know what is my next step forward, what is highest good in this moment right now? And I would actually say highest good is always available. It's always with us. We don't have to seek, we don't have to go far.It's actually already with us in this moment. And so it actually has to do with, I'm here, I'm right now when I'm talking to you, I'm in Baltimore.And so that means this is where I am, and this is where I can be of service to highest good.And so from moment to moment, there's an ability to open and listen and allow and to allow the kindness within you to share, to allow the wisdom that is within you to share. And I'm not talking about anything elaborate like this is. I see neighbors helping neighbors all the time.And it just is a natural kind of spontaneous thing that someone will help a neighbor clean off their car or mow their lawn, or will roll their garbage can back after the garbage got picked up. And it's in daily life, if you're just present, there's a natural, spontaneous awareness because we are all so interconnected.And if you say to the divine, to the universe, to your higher self, to the light within you. Here I am. What is helpful in this moment, you will receive an immediate response.And then the more that you live in this, you could call it like a stream of helpfulness or a stream of being, a service. Whatever your word for it is, you're also living in the flow of abundance. And so this puts you in this natural flow of kindness, of the energy.I call it pure love.But whatever your word for it, is it that energy that is the same energy that moves the sun and the moon and the stars and the planets is there and it's supporting you, it's helping you be fully present. You talked about being grounded. This helps you be present and be able to be steady and kind.Whoever you are with, whatever you are observing, whatever the person you are with is going through, whatever you are going through, this is the energy.I mean, I would say parents draw on this energy all the time to help themselves be patient in situations where it would otherwise not be humanly possible to be patient.It's true that partners and friends and in business situations, we all draw on this energy all the time to help us be steady and kind and cheerful when it would otherwise not be humanly possible. And so this energy of highest good, this energy that is the pure source energy that brings all of this into physical form. It's with all of us always.And so just make yourself available consciously and you will receive immediate feedback and support.

That's, that's. That makes me feel good. Everything you just said, it boils down. There's a word you said in this, and I think that it is. We have, we have to.In compassion. We have our compassion.And, and I think that, you know, something as simple as opening the door for somebody can change somebody's world in a heartbeat. Love isn't just a feeling. It's a force that reshapes our world. And you know, I saw it in my line of work, I saw it in my personal life.I've seen it take place outside of me. I've watched it take place with other individuals that I've had in contact with.And I think we all should have a little bit of, a little bit more love and kindness and compassion and understanding. And like I say, open ourselves up to that. I think open us up to the light.Why do you think unconditional love and kindness triumph in the face of, like, adversity? You mentioned earlier about people going through different things.People, you know, have that recognition that people may be going, having a bad day or going through some very stringent stuff. Can you help us maybe understand that? Why does unconditional love and kindness triumph in the face of adversity?

I mean, so when you were talking, I came across a true story recently that a woman who, I think she was in her early 30s when this happened, she fell from a tree and she became paralyzed. And as she was falling, she had this complete presence. She said she felt like a feather floating through the air.And she knew everything I need to know is happening right now in this moment. And as a result of that injury, she was paralyzed. But she says the most surprising thing is how much better her life is.And she says that she had been drifting before. She didn't have a sense of purpose.And she has a completely clear sense of purpose now that she is to be of service to this energy that flows through her. And that's that energy of pure love that you're talking about. And the energy equally flows through all humans.And I would also say it doesn't have to take the form of a traumatic injury as that did, but it can. And so even if you have experienced a traumatic injury, pure love is right with you, right in the midst of it.And so she, she had this very clear present moment awareness. My job is to pay attention because there is quiet support that is coming to me right here and right now.And so her life kept unfolding and again, just to kind of keep trusting that light can unfold, pure love can unfold and you can achieve a greater happiness than you have ever known before, no matter what it is that you're moving through right now.And so I would say, like, that's a very dramatic example, but that it is possible for each of us to just from moment to moment, every thought I think I'm giving permission to pure love to express through me in the way that it's natural to express through me.And so I'll also be honest, there's an age appropriate way, like if I'm talking to my five year old neighbor, pure love will express through me in a different way than if I'm Talking to my 84 year old neighbor, which we'll express in a different way that I'm talking to the person at the checkout at the grocery store, right? And so there's just this spontaneous way in which each of us continually can make ourselves available to this energy of pure love.And then no matter what it is like, it can be the big dramatic things. I gave an example of a very, very life changing dramatic experience that that person went through.But also just in the tiny, beautiful daily moments of our interactions with ourselves, I would also just say to treat ourselves with kindness, to treat ourselves with respect. And so just for each listener, to be honest, do I engage in negative self talk?And so the brain actually interprets that as if you are under physical threat. If you are engaging in negative self talk, the brain interprets that the same way, as if you are under actual physical threat.And so to love yourself so much, to be kind to yourself so much that you say, I'm going to commit to changing the way that I talk with myself if I am engaging in negative self talk.And I will treat myself with as much kindness as I treat a friend, as I treat a beloved family member, and as you change your relationship with yourself, as you change the way that you speak to yourself inwardly, this will also have really beautiful transformations in the way that you are able to allow kindness and pure love to express through you appropriately and purely in your daily life, in your interactions with other people.

Do you think, I mean, can I understand that?Would it, would it be okay to say that we should kind of hold space for others in a spiritual community and cultivate joy and relationships within that community so that we can support individuals collectively? That was kind of a bizarre question.

No, That's a great way to put it. And I would actually say yes, for sure. I mean, so like, I would say this is everywhere.Like, I do have a meditation center, awake yoga meditation center. Not that I personally have it, but I'm a member of the community, I'm a participant in the community.And so there is that community that I participate in. But I would actually say I'm in community with all of life. Like, I'm in community, don't laugh. But with the squirrels that are outside.Outside, right? Like I'm in community with the people on the bus or the people just walking down the sidewalk.And so I'm actually greeting silently because some people would be concerned if I did it out loud. But silently, I'm greeting the light within every being all the time. And it's just natural and spontaneous.And so, yes, I would say, like, if you are in a family, if you live with other people, if you work with other people, if you engage with other humans at all, even if you live alone and you're kind of a hermit and you don't engage with other humans very much at all, I would still say open your heart and radiate peace, radiate goodwill, radiate the sincere wishes of your heart that Every pea, every being, every human, every being is able to live in peace, that they're able to live in joy, that they're able to live in kindness, that they're able to live in freedom, that they're able to develop their talents and their skills, that they're able to find their purpose, that they're able to remember that just by being themselves, not by doing anything, they already make a meaningful contribution. Just by being here, everyone already makes a meaningful contribution.

I think if I can contribute to that, it is we all have the wisdom, and we have to understand that wisdom is not what we know, it's what we live. I had to learn that myself in all of my healing, in my journey, in my opportunities to either be.Sit back and be angry and resentful and depressed and angry, you know, mad at the world for what I was going through and where I've come to today. I was given the wisdom and the opportunity and the chance and the light to kind of change my direction.And now I try to live that every day, and it makes a significant difference.

I agree with you completely. I would also say, let me think of how to say this. The example that you are is so important. We really need living examples.And so for every listener to know, you are also a living example.So just like Michael is a living example of this, that every listener is a living example of the wisdom that you carry innately and reaching down deep to keep unfolding kindness, to keep unfolding light. And I would also say it does. It sometimes takes an inner strength and an inner courage to keep choosing this. And there's always a benefit.There's always a benefit to you.There's always a benefit to others if you keep uplifting yourself and you keep unfolding light and you keep choosing the courage of sharing kindness no matter what.

I agree with that. I think that we all need to show a little more kindness and love.I mean, you know, we don't share enough love in this world anymore in the midst of this chaos.In my personal opinion, I think that we all need to have more compassion, more humanity, have a better understanding that as you said earlier, we are all connected and we're here to also take care of our brothers, our sisters, our family all the way around, not just our. Our blood relationship family, our humanity family.

I would agree. I. I love the way that you put that. And I would also say for a lot of people, I'm trying to think of how to say this.There's a process of expanding awareness. So we start off maybe thinking of my family is these biological humans that I. That I know, or my family is my neighbors that I know.And then gradually we expand in our awareness until eventually we recognize that all of humanity, and I would actually say even beyond humanity, all beings, like all life, we're all part of this interconnected network of life. And so when we. When we live in that way, then what happens is we live.It's just a natural outcome that we live with respect and we live with goodwill, and we live in a way that honors ourselves, but we also live in a way that honors and everybody. And what happens then is we are moving in the energy of highest good, and that means we're helping to create highest good.So that means if I want peace, I get to create peace within myself, and then I get to allow that peace to share right where I am. It will share through me. And my experience of the world will transform as I choose to come from peace and as I choose to share peace just in the.In the ways that it's natural and possible in my daily life.

And that will transform the world?

It does, simply.

Well, let's talk about how does awake Yoga help other people integrate spiritual freedom into their everyday life?

Absolutely. So we are a meditation center in Baltimore, Maryland.And if you are in the Baltimore, D.C. philly area, you're welcome to come meditate with us in person. We share meditations online as well, so check us out@awakeyogameditation.org we have a free course online, the Yoga of Happiness.And so if you've liked what you have heard here, you are welcome to dive into that free course. People say that it brings them more smiles, more freedom, and more fun right in the midst of their daily life. We are on YouTube.I published a book titled Awake and that is available at our website, awakeyogameditation.org so if you are interested by what I said about the Buddha and how it's possible to uncover that awakeness and allow that awakeness to flourish within us right in the midst of daily life, right where we are. That book, Awake, shares everyday examples of ordinary humans who do this.And it also shares really inspiring teachings from the yogic tradition and the Buddhist tradition as well.

And you have a podcast.

We do have a podcast as well. Still Love now with Swami Natimanda. And I would also just say that longtime meditators are welcome.If you have no background at all in meditation, you're welcome. And people say that the teachings and the practices and the meditations are immediately accessible and they're transforming and I'll make.

Sure that all of that is in the show notes so that it'll have an easy way to connect with you just by following and clicking a button. And I can validate, as I've done so many times on this show.Meditation is a wonderful opportunity for us to not only connect with ourselves, our mind, our body, and our soul, but the universe.

It's so beautiful. I mean, I would just say there's such an expansion. There's such a calm, grounded, centered feeling, but there's also such an expansion of awareness.And so one of the metaphors I use is if you ever start to feel a little constricted or a little confused or a little stressed or tense, that meditation is almost like seeing a wide, expansive horizon or going out at night and seeing the Milky Way, and you see the vastness of the cosmos. And then there's also this influx of insight and inspiration. And what seem like obstacles melt away as we meditate.

100, 1,000%. I'll change it from 100 and add a zero.This has been a wonderful opportunity for us, a brilliant conversation, and I really appreciate what you bring to the world. So thank you, number one, for being here in this universe and for sharing your wisdom with us as well.

Michael, it's a joy to talk with you. Thank you for your unfailing kindness. I was listening to your podcast. You are scrupulously kind to every human on the planet.Thank you for that and to. To every listener. Thank you. Because your existence is beautiful. Thank you for being here.

That was wonderful. And. And you. You humble me. This is one more thing before you go, though, so I have to ask you words of wisdom for if.If somebody wants daily rituals or practices, what do you recommend for somebody just beginning? Because we may not always have an opportunity to understand or the world is in such chaos, we go. Where do I start?

I would say, before you get out of bed in the morning, breathe into your heart and ask yourself, what is my highest intention for today? And it's something simple. Very often it's peace or it's kindness, or it's good humor, or it's fun, or it's playfulness or it's cheerfulness.It's something very, very simple. But allow yourself to just listen quietly within. And your heart, your soul, your higher self, whatever your word for it is, will let you know.This is my highest intention for today. Then breathe that energy of peace into your heart.And then throughout the day, whenever you have a moment, or whenever you feel a bit of tension or a bit of pressure, a bit of anxiety, a bit of fear, a bit of urgency. Whatever it is that you're feeling, breathe into your heart and come back to your highest intention.And this puts you in contact with that purpose, which in turn reduces cortisol levels, it reduces inflammation markers, it makes your body feel better, it makes your brain feel better, it makes your nervous system feel better.And all of those things have implications for how we feel as we interact with ourselves, as we interact with our people, with whom we're in relationship, as we interact wherever we are, in our workplace or with our neighbors as well. So it also, it's so simple. But just keep breathing into your heart and asking, what is my highest intention for this day?And what you'll find is that it brings that energy of freshness, it brings that energy of aliveness, it brings that energy of playfulness right where you are, right in the midst of daily life.

That's brilliant words of wisdom. Brilliant words of wisdom. Thank you very much for that start for everybody. I appreciate it. And again, thank you very much for being on the show.

Thanks, Michael. It's a joy and much joy to you and your listeners.

Thank you. Swami Nithyananda reminds us that awakening isn't reserved for monks or mystics. It's available in every breath, every moment, every act of love.Her life is a testament to the truth that joy is not a destination, but a way of being. So before you go, ask yourself, what would it mean to live as light, to be joy, not just feel it, to walk through the world awake.This has been one more thing before you go. So until next time, please stay curious, stay kind, stay awake, and thank you for being part of this community.

Thanks for listening to this episode of One More Thing before youe Go.Check out our website at before you go, podcast.com you can find us as well as subscribe to the program and rate us on your favorite podcast listening platform.