Have you ever asked yourself “Why am I here? What is my purpose in life?  Is life more than just a brief span of time on earth?  Such questions have baffled the greatest thinkers and philosophers down through the ages.  Living , in itself, is not enough.  Life, in itself, is not the goal.

Most of us are so busy and caught up in day -to-day existence that we do not have time to think about the Purpose of Living.  It seems that our lives revolve around daily routines and worldly demands rather than striving for fulfillment.  Religions preach about true purpose and philosophers have pondered the mystery for centuries.  While we mortals just try to live day-to-day , the eternal Purpose of Life still eludes us.  All our pondering, technology and sophistication still haven’t solved the fundamental riddle posed by two indelible facts of human existence-Life and Death.  In this article, I will attempt to share with you my thoughts on the purpose of living.

We were all created to be happy and have purposeful lives.  As human beings we are blessed with a brain and conscience, and so can decide what to make of our lives.  Often, a purpose is imposed on an individual by family, culture, government, or even by individuals who seek to control others for their own satisfaction.  As we strive to learn the purpose of our lives here on earth, we must remember that true fulfillment is not found in our outward achievements, but in what we accomplish within ourselves.

Why would I want to know my purpose?

     What would you like to ask the Supreme Being if you could get a direct and immediate answer?  A poll in USA Today reports that the #1 question people would like to ask God is “What’s my purpose of Living?”  According to Swami Rama, “A human being is a citizen of two worlds, the world within and the world without are two entirely separate realities.  The external world dissipates energy, but the internal world showers blessings that fill the vacuum created by the world.  Conquering the inner world is more difficult than succeeding in the kingdom of life in the external world.”

        Knowing your true purpose leads to real joy, satisfaction, and happiness as you strive to fulfill our dream life.  Studies have shown that purpose -driven people experience more contentment, and have more success and financial rewards than most other people.  By taking the time to understand your purpose in life, you’ll have more satisfaction and more energy, and be more focused to achieve that Purpose. Until you find your purpose and begin fulfilling it, you will never be truly happy.

Where do I begin to find my Purpose?

My incentive for knowing and finding my Purpose lies in my own future.  My greatest satisfaction would be to look back on my life and know that I gave my all unselfishly to make a difference in the lives of those less fortunate.  From this point of view, nothing could be more important than finding and fulfilling my life’s purpose.

But how and when can the purpose for your life be discovered? Our jobs, daily responsibilities, or even long-term goals are not the true purpose , the real reason why we’re here on earth.  I believe that our most fundamental human desire is happiness.  I also thought that happiness could be achieved through material possessions.  I presumed that if I made enough money I would be happy and fulfilled.  But it didn’t work out that way.  The more I followed the path of material possessions, the less satisfied I became.  Consequently I no longer believe that materialism is the way to true fulfillment.  I have learned that if you understand your Purpose and practice it in your daily living, God will give you what you want, and so make future steps easier and clearer.

On the other hand, many people believe that you have to give up all your worldly possessions and devote all your time to helping others, without regard for your own wants and needs.  While such self sacrifice may be admirable, the most important thing to understand is that your Supreme Purpose cannot be found by searching outside yourself. To find your Purpose you need to search within yourself.  Various meditation methods can help you to “look within”  and realize your true purpose.

How to find your purpose?

To discover true purpose, one must first empty the mind of all the false intentions acquired in the course of daily living.  We must understand that, while our present life and body will come to an end, whatever we do during our life influences our ultimate future.  According to eastern teachings, death is not the end of life.  At death, we acquire a new body based on our previous activities (karma) and desires, being reincarnated as any of the 8.4 million species of life in any planet within the universe.  This cycle of birth, death, and transmigration continues indefinitely.  For humans there is a very special opportunity in this cycle because we are endowed with intelligence to inquire into the true purpose of life.  Unless this milestone is reached, life is in vain.

We are eternal living beings- we are not this body but an eternal spirit soul. While the body will die, our real self, the spirit soul, will never succumb to death.  The body is merely a temporary vessel, and when it becomes old or useless, the soul takes on a new body, much like a person changing clothes.  Some view the prospect of death and changing bodies as unnatural, unpleasant and depressing.  However,  this notion fails to consider that the unpleasantness of birth, death, diseases, old age or other miseries of this world are due to having forgotten our real spiritual nature and relationship with God.

Accepting death will help with the realization that life is temporary, a journey of learning and growth that culminates in understanding that God, pr the eternal Reality, is within you.  Without this awareness our Purpose remains shrouded by body consciousness and ignorance , believing that life has no ultimate goal or meaning.  But, as soon as we turn our attention back to God, this illusion is removed and we are free from fear.  Achieving this level of enlightenment, however, is an arduous journey that must begin by examination of the inward self.  Even Buddha spent years in solitude before realizing his Purpose, and Jesus went off into the dessert to discover the truth.

Conclusion

Finding the true purpose of life begins by understanding our real nature, transferring our earthly desires to spiritual, and turning our attention back to God.  When we reestablish contact with God even ordinary activities and relationships we pursue take on new meaning and significance, no longer being temporary or illusions.  Ultimately, it will enable us to go back to our eternal home.  There we can forever engage in blissful loving service to the Supreme Lord, without being subjected to the stringent laws of birth, death, old age, disease and suffering.

Being human is a precious gift.  Finding true purpose makes life more enjoyable.  More importantly, the mind and spirit are infused with a mission and a direction.  This Purpose attracts and causes more opportunities for fulfillment and enjoyment.  Choosing a purpose to live by is important, critical even, to personal fulfillment and happiness.

Creating a purposeful life begins with changing your attitude and thoughts.  Give thanks to God for what you have and , most of all, enjoy it!  When you live life with purpose, giving to others without expecting anything in return, prosperity will result.  It took me a while to grasp this concept.  But now, doing things for others unselfishly gives me a pure joy and true inner happiness.

Now let me tell you a secret of true happiness.  When you wake up each day recite a little prayer of gratitude to the Lord for the immense pleasures of life and the opportunity to be of unselfish service to others.  By doing so, your subconscious mind picks up the positive feeling and energy, and you will realize the purpose of your life.  When you recognize your purpose you see things in a more positive way.  This insight releases tremendous amounts of positive vibrations that, in turn attracts more positive energy.  It all starts when you focus on the true purpose of your life, to liberate the soul and get redemption from the cycle of death and rebirth.  Meditation is an extremely effective way of learning your true purpose.

Finally, the purpose of life is to serve others, to realize the truth (self) and to believe in Supreme Power.  It is for these, that this human life and this human birth have been received.  Being human has given you a golden opportunity.  Make the best use of it.  When you are connected to your spiritual purpose your life becomes easier, and more satisfying and rewarding.  Be generous and give yourself away, and serve humanity unselfishly.  Live consciously and courageously, resonate with love and compassion to awaken the great spirits within others, and to leave this world in peace.  All of us have been blessed with precious gifts by God.  What really matters is what we do with these gifts during our lifetime.  Ask yourself a simple question, what are you doing to help others?  if you have found your purpose, you will discover the answer (as I have) that the more you share your gifts unselfishly; God will shower you with more gifts in return.

Tune in for more on:  Where and how to find my purpose with Darshan Goswami

I fell into a deep depression after 911 for two months and prayed many nights on what I should do with my life.  In thirty seconds of standing in front of the twin towers my world was turned upside down. The experience of such darkness forced me to review my purpose and time spent here on this planet.  I recall waking up every morning with one gentle whisper in my ear, “You will work in India.”  I had never travelled out of the country and could not imagine being in India so I would laugh it off.  This whisper appeared every morning for three weeks and then it stopped.   I went on with my life and forgot about the whisper until one day I received a phone call about a job in India.  I had to laugh.  It was a dangerous time to travel, but I knew God prepared me to say yes to the job.  It was one of the few moments in my life where I felt a higher power was designing a plan for me and all I needed to do was show up.

This journey to India was the beginning of my spiritual development and a more meaningful life.  Tune in for more………….share your comments and stories on how God has whispered into your soul and I will post it.  Blessings!

The first reason people might be having insomnia is they can’t seem to shut down the nervous system and feel relaxed.  Many Kundalini Yoga sets work on the nervous system allowing a person to experience an active work-out that creates a calmness in the mind.  Through this feeling of being calm the body is able to shut down and sleep.  Second, using one of the meditations Sa Ta Na Ma, which you press on each finger with the thumb while chanting over and over again, begins the process of cleaning the sub-conscious brain.  This is the part of the brain that focuses on the past.  The goal in meditation work is to get to a place where you can be completely in the present moment.

Finally, doing a meditation work right before you go to bed will build better habits for the mind and body to process.  In a time a person should feel a shift in their sleeping patterns and feel a window open within their minds.  This window then creates a healthier mind during the day from having the ability to properly shut down at night.

We must take the time to sit back and reflect on what direction we are headed in life; the fast or slow track to happiness?  Is it the road less traveled or is it found by simply slowing down the breath and being able to hear that inner voice within speak to the soul.  American culture spends much money on physical exercise and material things, but little focus is on the energy source within each person that defines them, the soul.  No two souls are alike.  I believe most would agree that once we die our energy source, soul, moves on.  Where does it go? Why do we spend so little time nurturing it while alive?  Is it fear the binds us down to lower conscious behavior or is it the unknown possibilities that set us back?

Tune in-for I will be creating some simple videos on my YouTube channel regarding breath and meditation work! Until then, take a deep breath and realize your breath is the greatest gift you will be given in this life.  Enjoy it!

The cat was unable to walk and was chewing up it’s paws. I placed him on the owners chest and I began to do Reiki on both front paws.  Animals are amazing to work with because they are so open to light and energy.  They don’t think about what is this woman doing to me-they are just drawn to what helps them feel better.  I was happy when the cat stretched it’s paw into my palm and let it sit there for a good few minutes. I could feel the cat taking in the energy work and see it.  The owner was shocked at how still the cat was and said, ”he never purrs like this.” I was able to do a good ten minutes of healing work before the cat found a surge of energy and jumped off the owner and started to walk around the room.  It does take experiences like this to prove the power of Reiki.  I know the owner was changed by that hour session.

Good news is it only took one hour to get the cat back on track and heal those paws so he could walk and jump again! If you have a Reiki animal story please share it with me at heatherferriproductions@yahoo.com   and if you would like it posted on my blog please state that you give me permission.   Be well and thanks for tuning in!

Yoga can be effectively used to slow down the aging process by reducing the catabolic process of cell deterioration and defy aging

Today’s world is stressful.  Modern living imposes stresses and strains on all of us mental, physical, and emotional.  More people are turning toward the principle of yoga.  Yoga offers you to break free the confines of a potentially damaging lifestyle with a little effort and by focusing on ways of looking after your-self better to increase your vitality, find serenity, and get the best out of every day to enjoy life to the fullest.  Yoga provides a natural counter-balance of the stresses of modern life and can help you to achieve a sense of inner peace.

Yoga is an easy and enjoyable way of becoming healthier and stronger.  Yoga can help improve your physical health by developing a fit and beautiful body, tone your muscle and internal organs, relieve inner tension, reduce weight, and strengthen your bones.  Recent scientific studies have shown that the practice of yoga combined with meditation can have a beneficial effect on a variety of medical conditions, such as high blood pressure, reduce cholesterol and blood sugar level, arthritis, asthma, chronic fatigue, arteriosclerosis, anxiety, stress, and postural problems.  The regular practice of yoga can also improve self-esteem, boost your energy and vitality at any age of life, increase your powers of concentration and discipline, and improve heart conditions.  In addition, yoga can also guide you toward relaxation and shows you how to become more balanced, centered, and calm.

Yoga also teaches that attaining control over the body is the key to controlling your mind.  Using the body as a medium, the breath becomes still, the mind attains peace and the soul moves closer to liberation.  Mastering the art of relaxation and learning how to breathe properly are two of the most important aspects of yoga.  Once you have mastered these skills, you will experience a very positive, healthy outlook on life.

By Darshan Goswami

Do you find yourself sleeping less and working more?  Are you running for that third cup of coffee to get you through your last meeting of the day?  Feeling like another person has taken over your mind and you want to scream at anyone who will listen?  Can Kundalini Yoga really change your life? YES!

The first day I walked into a Kundalini Yoga class in New York City I was searching for something to ease the stress level of my life and shut my mind down for at least one second.  At first, I was concerned that maybe I had walked into a cult with everyone wearing white clothing, but soon I would learn the benefits of how the color can add to a person’s aura.  Aura is the energy field around our bodies and in the Kundalini yoga practice we build it and protect it from negative energy.  I felt after several classes this fog lift from my mind and I could feel how the medical meditations were going to help shift my life and give me the mental clarity to know what changes to make in order to move forward.

I never dreamed 13 years later my business would be Kundalini Yoga and Reiki, but I learned to let go and be guided by something much bigger then myself.  Trust me I fought with God, my ego wanted the glamorous life of a stage performer(which was my previous career), and I bought into the media standards of success.  I started to work with what I believe would be successful people, but most of them were sick and on anti-depressants?  I started to wonder what is the American dream?  Many are selling their souls to make a buck to spend it on materials to wake up and continue the endless cycle.  In time, people begin to lose themselves and the soul can become very sad.  When we study with a qualified teacher and learn many incredible ways to reprogram the brain, then hope begins to find a door into the soul again.  Change is possible at any stage of the game.  What changed my life was finding a certified teacher that I trusted and practicing the scientific techniques every week.  Building new habits takes time and if your impatient you will have to see this work in a long-term fashion.  I hope I’ve inspired you to look up a certified Kundalini Yoga teacher in your town, buy a DVD, and experience first hand the power of science!  Sat Nam!

Depending on how it is used, money can create powerful, positive changes in the world.  Having money allows us to function more easily in the world, it buys food, clothes, provides comfort in our lives and in the lives of others.  However, because attachment to money is based on fear, it always creates insecurity.  The desire to have more money, and thereby feel more secure, never ends.  Security can never come from money alone.  Some of the people who have the most money are also the most insecure. Does this mean you must give up the desire to attain wealth?

Not necessarily.  In and of itself money is neither good not bad.  It is what we choose to do with money that determines if it will have a positive effect on others, society, the world, and ourselves.  So, it cannot be said that money is essential for happiness.  But, most people recognize that money is important in the 21st Century because it can give people comfort and freedoms.  But, does raising a nation’s income, as measured by gross domestic product (GDP) , raise the population’s overall level of happiness?

Intuitively, you’d think the answer is a definite yes.   However, a survey conducted by The Wall Street Journal found otherwise.  Other studies also show that, in many countries, “although economic output has risen steeply over the past decades, there has been no rise in life satisfaction and there has been a substantial increase in depression and distrust.”  For example, since World War II, GDP per capita in the U.S. has tripled, but life satisfaction (measured by surveys that ask something like, “overall, how satisfied are you with your life?) has barely changed.  Also Japan and Western Europe has a tremendous rise in GDP per capita since 1958, yet measure of national happiness have been flat.  One reason may be that a rising economy produces rising aspirations.  There are many villages in the world where people do not own shoes but the people are extremely happy and friendly.  I ask you can money buy you happiness?

Guest Blogger: Darshan

Second, when people breath from the mouth it only supplies the upper part of the lungs with air;  which leads to a shallow breath.  In Kundalini Yoga many of the exercises require using the nostrils for breath.  Nostril breathing is vital for helping depression.  It is common to watch students leaving a Kundalini Yoga class looking “high on life”  because of the breath work.

Third, our minds can be described as a computer chip that logs our past experiences and thoughts.  How do we clean that computer chip?  In Kundalini Yoga we use all types of mantras to assist in re-programming how we think.  If a person is used to saying to themselves, “I am stupid” in a matter of time that is programmed into the brain and stored.  Depression is losing sight of your true self and believing false statements from the past.  In doing meditation work it not only cleans your computer chip, but also teaches the brain to be present.

Last, depression can become a habit of life.  By doing active scientific yoga movement you are forced to get out of your head and into the body.  In my many years of teaching I have discovered that the mind can easily lie, but our bodies will always lead us back to the truth.

Second, in Kundalini Yoga there are specific heart chakra sets to do to attract more abundance into your life.  The fourth chakra, which is the heart, needs to be open and clear in order to attract opportunities.  When working on the heart many of the exercises will consist of having your arms over the head in different angles.  Fire breath is a fast, rhythmic pattern used many times to move blocked energy in the body.  I am amazed at student’s who commit to a 40-day yoga set on the heart chakra and return to me with life-changing stories.

Third, many of the meditations used to open the heart and create a channel for abundance is “Har.” The idea is to open your higher self to a place of surrender so the universe can provide for you.  Many times when our heart is blocked so is our ability to see other possible doors in life.  In Kundalini Yoga numerology is used to design the length of time for each meditation and exercise.  Eleven minutes is a solid number to start with using “Har” to chant. If you place one hand on your navel point you need to project that one word from your gut.  If the intention is clear you will begin to feel a shift that will allow you to be guided and protected by a higher energy within your life.