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Four Yoga Postures to Open Your Third Eye Chakra

Sonali Bansal

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March 28, 2015

Four Yoga Postures to Open Your Third Eye Chakra

“In the land of the blind the third eyed man is king.” ~ Dean Cavanagh

The sixth chakra, or third eye chakra, is the seat of consciousness and is also our “sixth” sense, often referred to as the psychic chakra. Controlling the mental activities of the lower brain (cerebellum) and the nervous system, the sixth chakra is also known as Ajna Chakra, meaning ‘to perceive’ in Sanskrit.

So, while your eyes see the material world, Ajna chakra helps you look into deeper realms: intuition, clairvoyance, imagination, creativity and visualization.

The two energy channels – Ida and Pingala – merge with the central channel Sushumna, signifying the end of duality.

A balanced Ajna chakra is the reason why sages and saints enjoy increased wisdom, clairvoyant abilities, precognition, and perception beyond duality.

The Ajna chakra is symbolized by a violet lotus with two petals. A powerful and balanced third eye chakra provides a strong psychic ability, spiritual awareness and the desire to excel further towards the cosmic union. A person with a strong Ajna Chakra has greater intuition, a strong sense of identity, and the ability to self-reflect.

When this chakra is clear we gain the ability to see ourselves and others as spiritually interconnected beings.

Yogi Bhajan said, “Going through life without intuition is like driving a car which has no side mirror and no rearview mirror. All you can see is just straight ahead.”

Here is a quick guide to the Third eye chakra:
Colour: Indigo
Element: Light
Glands/Organs: Pituitary gland, pineal gland, left eye, nose and ears
Gems/Minerals affecting it: Lapis lazuli, Azurite, Sodalite, Quartz crystal, Sapphire
Foods: Blue or Purple Fruits and Vegetables

Located at the center of the eyebrows, the Third Eye Chakra is stimulated with inversions, semi inversions, forward bends, or specific meditation that are directed towards it. Wearing indigo color clothes and stones, consuming indigo color fruits, and using indigo color decor can be beneficial as well.

Here are 4 Yoga Postures to Open Your Third Eye Chakra, which will activate, balance, and harmonize the Ajna chakra.

Uttanasana or Standing Forward Bend

How to: Stand in Mountain pose (Tadasana), inhale and raise your arms upwards. As you exhale, bent forward from the hips, bring hands to the sides and palms facing the floor. Keep lowering the torso and back flat, to gain extra length in the spine. Aim to touch the forehead on the shins, it is okay if in the beginning you are unable to reach there, but the intention should be clear from the outset.

Bending forward, grasp the back of the ankles and interlace your fingers for stability. Try to straighten the knee as much as possible. The head would rest on the knee or shin. Take a deep breath and slowly come back up.

Why to: Again, the tapping of the third eye, awakens the energy stored in the vortex and cleanses it. The pose further accentuates the feeling of relaxation, works deeply on the hamstring and works on the spine as well. The flow of blood is directed towards third eye chakra in this pose.

Janu Sirsasana or Head-to-Knee Pose

How to: Be seated in Dandasana (Staff pose), now separate the legs wide. Bend the right knee, draw the feet towards the groin, and place the right heel to the perineum. Rest your right foot sole lightly against your inner left thigh.

Inhale and raise your hands to gain length in the spine. Exhale forward towards the left foot, to place the forehead on the shin. The foot is flexed, pointing towards the ceiling, and the left thigh muscle is contracted while you are going down. If you can reach the foot, grab it/ interlock the fingers behind the foot/ just hold the shin initially. Without hunching the back, stay here for 5 to 7 breaths and release gently.

Why to: The Ajna chakra is highly stimulated by the forward bending movement and tapping of the eyebrow centre. This pose offers the same benefit of increasing flow of the blood to the face, relaxing and activating the third eye. Other advantages are stretching the spine, hamstring, stimulating the digestion and cutting the flab on the waist.

Makarasana or Dolphin pose

How to: Start with downward-facing dog pose. Now, rest the elbow and the whole forearm area down on the floor. The elbow should be in line with the shoulders. Feet should be about hip-width apart. Firm your shoulder blades into the ribs and lift the shoulders away from the ears to free your neck. Press the pelvis down so that you can fix the heels on the floor. Keep your gaze either at your feet or between your arms. Spend 5 to 7 breaths here, bringing your attention to the third eye chakra.

Why to: This is a restorative pose. Dolphin pose creates a sense of balance, as it partially reverses the flow of the blood, thereby increasing circulation to the face and brain and stretching the hamstrings, back, shoulders, and arms. It relieves headaches, eyesight, and hearing issues. It is also a great stress-busting pose.

Balasana or Child’s pose

How to: Be seated in Vajrasana or Thunderbolt pose, or simply kneel. Bring the hips to touch the heels in Vajrasana, inhale, and lift your arms straight up. Gaining length from the raised arms, exhale, and with a straight back, go down. The hips must be pressed on the heels at all times. The palm and forehead rest on the floor. Stay here for 5 to 7 breaths and release. Let the gentle pressure on the third eye sink you deeper into a meditative state. This pose can be practiced in the middle of a session and at the end, to relax and catch your breath.

Why to: The movement of touching the forehead on the floor is the key. When we touch the eyebrow centre on the floor, we ground all negativity from this chakra and tap into the positivity. This semi-inverted pose increases the flow of the blood in the brain, and restores balance in the sixth chakra.

Trataka or Candle Gazing

How to: Trataka is a method of meditation that involves concentrating on a single point, such as a candle flame. Be seated in a low-lit room and place a candle in front of you.

The flame should be at the level of the eyes so that it can be seen straight without being uncomfortable. Ensure there are no distractions in terms of external noises. Now take a deep breath and bring your awareness to the flame of the candle. Keep gazing at it.

If thoughts arise, do not fight them just simply let them be. Gradually they will disappear. Your eyes will water from time to time, blink and even close. When they close, concentrate on the after image, and hold it for as long as possible. Open your eyes and follow the process again. Continue as long as you can and gradually increase the time.

Why to: Trataka helps to improve the function of the eyes, increases awareness, focus and concentration. It activates the third eye chakra, develop psychic abilities and stimulates the pineal gland.

For those who wish to go deeper into yoga poses to energize the third eye chakra and are advanced-level practitioners, these poses and meditation practices can be helpful: Pincha Mayurasana or Elbow Stand, Hand stand, Garudasana or Eagle pose, Ek Pada Galvasana or Flying pigeon, and Yoga Nidra, etc.

Seed Mantra Meditation

How to: AUM is the seed or the beej mantra of the Third Eye Chakra. Sit comfortably in an easy pose, preferably away from any support. Start by taking deep breaths and bring all the attention to the eyebrow centre. Chant ‘AUM’ loudly, and feel the chakra opening and the energy flowing in a horizontal direction, merging with infinity.

Then Chant ‘OM’ loudly, with the energy vibrating vertically from head to toe and into the earth. Repeat the verbal chant two more times. Now, repeat the set of alternate chant of AUM and OM mentally three times. Continue to chant first verbally then mentally as long as you wish.

Why to: The seed invocation is a form of a charged mantra. The sound, when chanted, resonates and reaches directly to the center of the third eye chakra and immediately activates it. The beej meditation will increase the circumference of the chakra and balance it. The Third Eye chakra is a gateway to higher realization. When it is tapped into, fear, anxiety, stress, and lack of focus disappear.

The practitioner starts receiving the future signals and is able to listen to other’s thought and intentions beforehand. A powerful chakra those who realise its true potential are the ones most peaceful, devoted, and away from all dualities.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_VwWZdMTDo

Image Source
Third eye chakra
Trataka
Child’s Pose

Five Best Ways to be an Empath

Life

Lauren

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March 27, 2015

5

“For there is nothing heavier than compassion. Not even one’s own pain weighs so heavy as the pain one feels with someone, for someone, a pain intensified by the imagination and prolonged by a hundred echoes.” ~ Milan Kundera

Having perhaps experienced the worst ways to ‘have’ empathy, you are slowly but surely building a better relationship with yourself and finding more positive ways to be and deal with the daily challenges of being an empath.

You may have just had glimpses of these, or they may already be a solid part of your interactions. Either way, here are some signs that you are already being or are moving into the best ways to be an empath :

Set Boundaries

Having recognized that we are all a part of a collective consciousness, setting healthy boundaries is an essential. If you already do this, then you’ll know that centering yourself and not succumbing to the projections that others project onto you is a daily battle, but one you can become well versed in given a little time and good intention.

Setting boundaries is a tricky one as, having put up layers of armor for years to protect yourself, the understanding that you need to do precisely the opposite can take a while to get your head around.

Letting down the barriers in order to avoid attracting negativity through your own fear of it can take some guts, but opening the flood gates may not be as terrible as you might think.

Being authentic and the soft and loving person you really are actually attracts those positive vibes you are seeking, and while it may take a few days or weeks to get going – like a wheelbarrow that is stiff at first then picks up speed after those one or two difficult turns of the wheel, the positivity will come flowing in if you are consistently let the boundaries down.

Having said that, the moment someone does try to take advantage, or convince you to go against your own truth, simply viewing them do this without victimization can be incredibly freeing.

Taking yourself (or your ego) out of the picture and witnessing them play out their old mechanical patterns of ego protection will help you A: Not take it personally, and B: reflect it back to them.

We are One

“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about.” ~ Wendy Mass.

In lowering yourself from your lofty heights – your fortress protected with heavy plated walls – you’ll find that people are still people and not much unlike yourself. Lowering your armor is like freeing yourself from the grip of the ego and simply imagining all the things going through people’s heads and marveling at all the human activity going on around you at this very minute can work wonders on your rusty strings of compassion and humility.

Doing exactly that whilst having a conversation or while they are projecting those (very personal) fears of theirs onto you will immediately reflect back to them what they are doing. Stripping away deceit to the truth is ultimately more effective that what your ego has been trying to do in hiding behind more layers of deceit.

Getting your own back has never felt so good and been so spiritually wholesome – you are helping them see their own deceit (this can be painful and they are likely to resist but at least you’ve done the right thing), whilst sending them the inevitable love that will be flowing from your heart chakra in the recognition that – We are all one.

Be the Best Version of Yourself

Being the best version of yourself can also be a wonderful way to combat the dregs of pity being an empath can find you entwined in.

Transcending the details and avoiding dealing problems with analysis of the mind takes one simple leap: I have been made this way for a reason, I am good, I deserve love… whatever the mantra that works for you, find one and tell it to yourself every time you begin to feel swallowed up by those pity pangs.

Being the best version of yourself attracts the law of attraction… People will immediately respond, not in a battle of one-upmanship, but in an honest look at where they could do better.

Empaths often fall into the trap of being the scapegoat – the one everyone compares themselves to as ‘at least I’m not in as much of a ditch as so and so’. They secretly know how wonderful you are, and how wonderful they could be – their game of comparison is only a way to avoid their own marvelous-ness and shine a light on the distractions of the ego, on I’m better than you.

Being the best version of yourself immediately paves the way for others. Don’t be afraid to be that person.

Avoid the Details

Not succumbing… every time not succumbing means being present and not falling into your own traps of analysis and mind preaching. Not getting hung up on why people try to drag you down can be such a challenge for the empath because we do feel everything and it’s not something that turns off after the first triumph.

The bizarre thing is that, in sensing and experiencing another’s jealousy, irritation and even hate, in our desire to protect them we take on these emotions ourselves and then believe we are the jealous irritants who feel dislike for our fellow creatures.

Locating which emotions are yours and which ones came from someone else can be a long and sticky process, but we must remember that we did it out of love and not feel resentment – who wouldn’t chose to get rid of these feelings if someone was offering their empathy services free of charge?! After all, being an empath can be a little like having a ‘kick me’ sign stuck to our backs.

In witnessing others offloading and sending out an energy sign that says – they are not my emotions, they’re YOURS is much more likely to draw that person’s attention to their own feelings and begin to deal with them in a more honest way.

Own your Own

Having recognized our own emotions on a daily basis, we can begin to recognize other’s emotions and reflect them back to them rather than absorb. Being honest about our own emotions; how we’re feeling from moment to moment should be at the top of this list. But, often the empath – having experienced and taken on other’s emotions for so long often has no idea what they’re feeling and which ones belong to them.

Often we have to go the long way around and reflect before we own our own. In picking apart which ones are yours and which ones are mine – basically through identifying the moments you feel uncomfortable or put upon in social interactions, can you begin to find your own emotions. I feel sad, I feel scared, I feel jealous… it’s OK. Once we own our own emotions we can take responsibility for them and redirect other’s to their own front door.

People may not like this new you – the one who doesn’t picks up their emotional garbage and give them an ego bath, but having gotten a grip of these more positive ways to be an empath can begin to transform (your own) and other’s darkness into pure light.

Though others may find you a threat to their fragile egos… only you are responsible for the path you tread and no-one is going to thank you for tiring yourself out by carrying them. You have chosen a higher path. Don’t be afraid to walk it.

Image Source

Mirror
Sharing
Wind
Empath

5 Yoga Poses to Balance the Throat Chakra

Sonali Bansal

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March 27, 2015

1

5 Yoga Poses to Balance the Throat Chakra

“To speak and to speak well are two things. A fool may talk, but a wise man speaks.” ~ Ben Jonson

The source of expression and manifestation, the fifth chakra: Vishuddha (translates to ‘especially pure’), the throat chakra, is the purification center which gives voice to our spirit. This is where energy transforms into our manifestations in the physical world. Situated at the center of the throat, the fifth chakra is associated with creativity, truthfulness, sound vibrations, honesty, loyalty and gentleness.

five yoga poses to balance the throat chakra

The strength and power of throat chakra lies in our ability to know who we are and assert the same publicly. Vishuddha chakra is symbolized by a sky-blue lotus with sixteen petals. With the purification of the Vishuddha chakra, deep Listening becomes another essential skill. By listening with conscious intent, deep knowing arises; through deep knowing, a deeper being results.

Associated with the affirmation, ‘I Speak’, a creative person will essentially need an open throat chakra to excel in her/his respective field. On the other hand, the disadvantages of a closed Vishuddha chakra are thyroid problems, hearing problems, speech problems, ignorance, knowledge used unwisely and dishonesty.

Here is a quick guide to the Throat Chakra:
Colour: Sky Blue
Element: Ether or Akaasha
Glands/Organs: Thyroid, Parathyroid, Hypothalamus, Throat, Mouth
Gems/Minerals affecting it: Turquoise, Chrysocolla, Celestite, Blue Topaz, Sodalite, Aquarium, Azurite, Lapis Lazuli, Kyanite.
Foods: Blue or Purple Fruits and Vegetables

The origin of creative thinking and the identification of the self, if we find ourselves attracted to the blue color in almost all our choices, we need to stop and evaluate. The simple reason to be attracted to any specific color denotes the lack of that specific color in our aura body and improper functioning of the respective chakra.

Setting your intention to release any blockages in the throat chakra, here are five yoga poses to balance the throat chakra.

Neck release Movement

How to: Be seated in a comfortable sitting pose with an elongated spine and root pressed into the ground. Start with rotating your neck, first clockwise then anticlockwise, five times. Inhale and while exhaling, gently rotate your neck to look right, inhale, come back centre, again exhale turn the head to the left side. Repeat the movement 5-7 times.
Now, gently tilt your neck on the left side first and place the left hand on the right side of the head. (Refer to the image above) Press the left shoulder down, ensure that the shoulder is not lifted at any time. With very mild pressure, press the left hand and pull the neck towards the left side. Feel the stretch on the right hand side of the neck. Spend 5-7 breaths here. Come back and repeat on the other side.

Why to: All forms of nerves and nadis (energy channels) cross from the neck area. When the neck is stiff, these channels are under pressure. Releasing the tension will automatically release pressure from the neck, thereby giving space to the throat chakra.

Seated Cat Cow Pose

How to: A seated modification of Cat pose (Marjaryasana) and Cow Pose (Bitliasana), is great for those who have sedentary jobs. Be seated in a chair and place your hands either on the knees or on the table for extended support & leverage. As you inhale, gently arch your back or spine, forming an exaggerated concave in the spine and gaze upwards. As you exhale, push the navel backwards towards the spine, forming a convex with the spine and gaze downwards. Repeat 5 to 7 times.

Why to: This movement of contraction and release of the spine and neck loosens up the tight muscles of the area and allows the chakra to expand. Find your pace and go slowly forming a rhythmic wave pattern with each and every breath.

Singhasana or Lion Pose

How to: Be seated in Vajrasana (thunder bolt pose) with feet pointing outwards, if you cannot, you can also sit cross legged. Press the palms of both the hands on the knees and extend your fingers. As you inhale, widen your eyes, bring your tongue out, contract the throat muscles and exhale with a loud ‘Haaa’ sound. This act is similar to a lion’s roar.

Why to: Strengthening the muscles of the throat, neck, chest and face, the pose clears any form of blockages in the fifth chakra. It gives you the confidence to freely express oneself and command authority like a lion.

Halasana or Plow Pose

How to: Lie down in supine position with knees bent on the floor. Bring your legs up to 90 degree position. Press the elbow on the ground and hold the waist area from both sides. Lift the hips up and start by taking the legs backwards. Extend the legs overhead, reaching your feet to touch the floor behind you.

Initially you can place a blanket/block on the floor behind the head to place your legs on it, and gradually on the floor directly. The gaze should be at the navel and hands should initially support the back. In a full pose, the hands can extend and fingers can be interlaced, once you find balance in the pose.

At any time, if you feel pain in the neck, begin by coming back slowly. First bring your legs back in 90 degree position and then back on the floor.

Why to: By compressing the throat chakra, the pose squeezes out all negativity and opens the back of the neck. This action also stimulates the thyroid gland and is great for treating any major ailments due to an imbalanced throat chakra.

Viparita Karani asana or Legs-up-the-wall pose

How to: Start with the use of a prop, either a bolster or a brick, sit on any side of the prop. Now, lie down toward the open end with an aim to adjust the sacrum to the wall. There should not be any gap between the sacrum and the wall. Bend your legs first, with feet pressed in the wall, adjust if you have to. The arms are left loose. Finally, raise the legs and rest them entirely on the wall. Stay here for 10 to 15 breaths or more. Be sure not to twist off the support when coming out. Instead, slide off the support onto the floor before turning to the side.

Why to: Viparita Karani asana is a therapeutic pose and is recommended to ease out any form of stress and tension. It relaxes the organs from the gravitational pull they face on an everyday basis, the pose changes the flow of blood. It increases the flow of blood in the neck and throat area, stimulates the thyroid gland, functions of the endocrine system, and expands the Vishuddha chakra. This pose gives blood circulation a gentle boost toward the upper body and head, which creates a pleasant rebalancing after you have been standing or sitting for a long time.

Some other poses, already discussed in previous articles are Matsyasana and Ustrasana. For those who wish to further challenge themselves and advance their practice, these poses can be tried under expert guidance: Karnapidasana or Ear Pressure Pose , Mirigasana or Deer Pose, Salamba Sarvangasana or Supported Shoulder Stand.

Seed Mantra Chanting

How to: HAM (pronounced as HUM in the word ‘Humble’) is the seed or beej mantra of the Throat Chakra. Sit cross legged or lotus pose and take deep breaths. Now, bring all your attention to the throat region, start chanting ‘HAM’. Imagine the chakra opening with the energy flowing in a horizontal movement. Chant HAM three times, then chant ‘OM’ and feel the flow of the energy vibrating vertically from head to toe, going inside Earth. Now repeat the chant silently in the same order. This is one set. Continue to chant HAM and OM, first out loud and then silentlly, till you wish to.

Why to: The seed invocation is a form of a charged mantra. The sound when chanted resonates and reaches directly to the centre of the respected chakra and immediately activates it. The sound vibration of the chants clears up the blockages of the throat chakra. If you feel you are unable to speak up, have confidence issues, difficulty in hearing or any form of hearing or thyroid related issues, do this meditation daily for 21 days to experience the profound benefits of an open throat chakra.

Yoga for the Throat Chakra: Stimulating and Balancing the Thyroid

Image Source
Throat chakra
Original artwork by Lori A Andrus

Five of the Worst Ways to be an Empath

Life

Lauren

-

March 26, 2015

30

“The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen.” ~ Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

Having discovered you are to some degree, an empath, and that all those years of thorn tingling feelings and draining encounters really meant something.

Having discovered the reason why you love people yet avoid them at all costs as they make your head spin and have a difficult time building balanced relationships that don’t leave you feeling resentful if not bitter and angry.

You’re probably ready to start confronting those confusing and infuriating emotions by taking action. But first, let’s locate exactly what not to do.

Here’re some of the worst ways to be an empath …

Resistance

Your chosen path is as an empath, and it will happen whether you like it or not.

Having been unaware for so long, you may have been dragged through the experience backwards and have accumulated a fair amount of bitterness if not despair about why this keeps happening to you.

Every time you forgive others for their atrocious behaviour, for downright taking advantage and walking all over you, you find that you fall straight back into the trap and spend days and weeks, if not years resenting them (and are secretly angry at yourself for allowing it to happen).

Victimization

In social situations you soak up everyone else’s shit and willingly take the flak for every little invisible tension or thing that goes wrong, letting others gang up on you and dump all their projections onto you.

You probably do this on a subconscious level in order that everyone is able to enjoy a certain level of comfort or distraction from their own downfalls, that’s detrimental to yourself of course.

You willingly become the victim; letting the hailstorm of emotions swirling around you hit you full force and worst of all… you believe you deserve it. You become the people pleaser, the scapegoat and the fool.

Karmic Patterns

To be honest, the reason that you have become an empath is probably because you have chosen, in this life or beyond, that you would have an intense and probably unpleasant… if not entirely terrifying experience.

These might include the experience of death firsthand (see the Orphan Archetype), a public downfall (killed in a riot, accused of witchcraft), a grand scale or group suffering (war, the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, the sinking of the Titanic) or many other thousands of possibilities that allowed you to experience the height of human suffering.

This might have happened in this lifetime and you’re aware of it, but you must understand that your soul chose to experience it in order to get where you are now.

Feeling like everyone’s enemy is often also the path of the famous as they are more vulnerable and open to negative energy and harmful thoughts against them as well as criticism, doubt and vampirism.

Exhaustion

Soaking up others emotions on a daily basis is exhausting in itself, but if you are the sort of empath who is a people pleaser, you will also let everyone gang up on you.

You mislead others into thinking you’re a child or emotionally weak in order to relieve those awkward situations and let them dump it all on you. Your low self worth and low self respect lead to this (having decided that you deserve it – victimization), and that cycle of victimization only leads to more exhaustion.

You have become concave, withdrawn, a vacuum of energy and are unable to draw any boundaries. The fact that you chose this path, which means you are stronger than you could ever imagine, makes no difference.

You are completely cut off from your higher self and the divine and have no energy to look at basic daily functions such as looking after yourself and making a living let alone shining your bright light and lifting up others around you (which you have an inkling you should be doing.)

The realization that you feel far from your true path only adds to the exhaustion.

Giving Up

Being totally overwhelmed by the lesson you have chosen, you’ve caved in. You have let people walk all over you for so long, you’ve shut down. Your armor is so thick most people are put off before you even give them a chance to get to know you. You have become so numb and angry that you’ve completely shut the world out.

As sad as it is, the hole isn’t as deep as you think.

People respond to your energy, and as sensitive and sponge-like as you may feel, you have the ability to easily transcend the complex swirls of emotion. Having worked on your boundaries, you are able to lift your head out of the pool and see the bigger picture.

By realizing that you are in complete control and always have been, you are able to stop being the victim and direct your energy from your centre rather than the outside to become the shining light you truly are and do the work you set out to do.

Image Source

Woman art
Near death experience
Empath
Art by Chris Dyer

Seven MORE Books Every Spiritual Seeker Should Read

Gary Z McGee

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March 25, 2015

1

Seven MORE Books Every Spiritual Seeker Should Read

“No two persons ever read the same book.” ~ Edmund Wilson

There are so many good books for a spiritual seeker out there with the potential to enliven the spirit, open up the heart, and invigorate the soul that we couldn’t leave it at just one article (Eight Books Every Spiritual Seeker Should Read), so we decided to write another one. From the more esoteric Bhagavad Gita and Urantia books, to the more metaphysic Celestine Prophecy and The Secret, books have a way of opening us up that no other form of art can.

As before, keep in mind that the books chosen are just the opinion of the author. You should in no way be limited by this short selection. There are probably books out there that the author hasn’t even read that deserve to be on this list.

There is always more to read. Like Haruki Murakami said, “If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking.”

So I beg of you, get out there and read. And then come back here and challenge this list. That way we can all benefit. As Jim Rohn said, “The book you don’t read won’t help.” So without further ado, I present the second list of books every spiritual seeker should read.

1) The Varieties of Religious Experience by William James

“The best use of life is to spend it for something that outlasts it.” ~ William James

Originally delivered as two sets of lectures called the Gifford Lectures in Edinburgh in 1901, the Varieties of Religious Experience is a penetrating gaze into the human heart and its tendency toward experiencing reality religiously. Jam-packed with first-person quotes, Varieties has shaped contemporary conceptions of religious and spiritual experience.

It’s a philosophical inquiry into the psychology of first-hand spiritual experience. It broke the mold for how religion and spirituality was studied. Explaining the religious life in a nutshell, James said, “It consists of the belief that there is an unseen order, and that our supreme good lies in harmoniously adjusting ourselves thereto.”

James brought to the academic world not only the blueprints for his idea of pragmatism, but also a healthy and optimistic way of interpreting the spiritual experience of others. He also introduces an elegant typology that divides religious experience into two categories: Healthy-mindedness and morbid-mindedness.

The former mindset believes in a cosmos that is harmonious and healthy, where one need only bring themselves in harmony with it in order to sustain suffering and pain and to achieve happiness. The latter mindset believes in a world where evil is real and genuine happiness requires its defeat. His now sustainable philosophy of pragmatism is the essence of healthy-mindedness.

2) The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell

“A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man.” ~ Joseph Campbell, introduction to The Hero with a Thousand Faces

This is a powerful and moving work of comparative mythology. In The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Joseph Campbell introduces the mytheme and the overall monomyth of the continuing human leitmotif.

In laying out the monomyth, he describes the stages of the Hero’s Journey, the most noteworthy stages being: the call to adventure, threshold, revelation, transformation, atonement, and return. Campbell also elucidates on the power of myth using Jungian archetypes.

The book is treated like a blueprint for the fundamental structure of stories and myths that have the potential to stand the test of time, inspiring such mythological stories as Star Wars and Harry Potter, among others. Applied personally, Campbell’s theory of the Hero’s Journey can provide a meaningful vehicle for spiritual revelation and existential insight, launching the individual out of the merely mundane experience of life and into an authentic and extraordinary experience of the limits of the human condition (and maybe even into one’s very own Self-inflicted Philosophy).

3) The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran

“Beauty is eternity gazing at itself in a mirror. But you are eternity and you are the mirror.” ~ Kahlil Gibran

Heavily influenced by Friedrich Nietzsche, Kahlil Gibran wrote The Prophet with an Übermensch-like poetic verve. It’s a tiny book of 26 prose-poetry essays about a prophet, Almustafa, who has a candid discussion with a group of people regarding life and the human condition.

In deep introspective dialogue and with Oracle of Delphi-like wisdom, Almustafa discusses a wide range of issue; everything from crime and punishment to reason and passion, from good and evil to spirituality and death. He exhibits a general tendency to show, through metaphor and allusions to nature, the interrelatedness and interconnectedness of life and all things.

In true yin-yang audaciousness he urges his listeners to be circumspect of duality and to find some aspect of good within the bad, and vice versa. The Prophet remains a prominent fixture of spiritual writing that continues to greatly influence spiritual seekers the world over.

4) The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity by Julia Cameron

“Creativity—like human life itself—begins in darkness.” ~ Julia Cameron

The Artist’s Way is in the “Self-publishing Hall of Fame,” and is one of the most popular self-help books of all time. Written as a comprehensive twelve-week program, she emphasizes the basic principle that creative expression is the natural direction of life. This book speaks to the artistic soul within us all. It links creativity to spirituality by showing how to connect with the creative energies of the universe.

She recommends two ongoing core activities to overcome blocks and self-defeating tendencies: morning pages and artist’s dates. Morning pages are daily stream-of-consciousness writings about anything at all (I call mine Meditative Writings), which overcomes the writer’s internal censor and makes writing habitual. The artist’s date is a weekly block of two hours spent simply observing, experiencing, and sensing the world.

The connection to the universe experienced within the throes of creativity is the primary experiences in this book, which jumpstarts both the creative and spiritual process. Like she says in the book, “God is an artist. So are we. And we can cooperate with each other. Our creative dreams and longings come from a divine source, not necessarily from the human ego.”

5) The Teachings of Don Juan by Carlos Castaneda

“The basic difference between an ordinary man and a warrior is that a warrior takes everything as a challenge while an ordinary man takes everything as a blessing or a curse.” ~ Carlos Castaneda

The Teachings of Don Juan was actually written as a Master’s thesis in anthropology, submitted at the University of California in 1968. Documenting the events that took place during an apprenticeship with a self-proclaimed Yaqui Indian Sorcerer, Don Juan Matus from Sonora, Mexico, this book is a masterpiece of ruthless spiritual insurgence, utterly unique in scope and subject.

It’s a no-holds-barred teacher-student story of how to become a “man of knowledge,” and how to be masterful and have “intention” in all that one does in life. It’s a vivid yet dark and spiritually disturbing journey between worlds that blends both shamanism and sorcery using the vehicle of peyote, revealing that the universe is more than our immediate perception of it.

This book is a quintessential foundation for both the shamanic and sacred clown path (indeed, having read it again and again, I will forever be a Castaneda Coyote with Don Juan eyes).

6) Siddhartha by Herman Hesse

“Wisdom cannot be imparted. Wisdom that a wise man attempts to impart always sounds like foolishness to someone else … Knowledge can be communicated, but not wisdom. One can find it, live it, do wonders through it, but one cannot communicate and teach it.” ~ Hermann Hesse

Siddhartha is a tour de force of spiritual discovery. Considered Herman Hesse’s magnum opus, it takes the reader on a spiritual journey like no other. The novel is structured on Buddha’s four noble truths (Part One) and the eight-fold noble path (Part Two) which form the twelve chapters in the novel.

Siddhartha’s journey shows that the best way to approach the understanding of reality and attain enlightenment is through a totality of consciousness that doesn’t focus on separate events in life but looks more holistically upon life as an interconnected whole. He learns that wisdom cannot be taught, but must come from one’s own experience and inner struggle.

In the end of the book, Siddhartha doesn’t discover true wisdom through any single teacher, but through the understanding of all his experiences combined, put into perspective by “listening” to a river that roars in a funny way (a language older than words, perhaps?) and to a wise, old, smiling ferryman.

It’s a masterwork of spiritual self-discovery that presents a strikingly unique view of man in relationship with cosmos, and the arduous process of discovering meaning in a meaningless universe.

7) Ishmael by Daniel Quinn

“There’s nothing fundamentally wrong with people. Given a story to enact that puts them in accord with the world, they will live in accord with the world. But given a story to enact that puts them at odds with the world, as yours does, they will live at odds with the world. Given a story to enact in which they are the lords of the world, they will act as the lords of the world. And, given a story to enact in which the world is a foe to be conquered, they will conquer it like a foe, and one day, inevitably, their foe will lie bleeding to death at their feet, as the world is now.” ~ Daniel Quinn’s Ishmael

Awarded the Turner Tomorrow Fellowship Award, Ishmael’s a novel that uses a kind of Socratic dialectic to deconstruct the notion that human beings are the pinnacle of creation on planet earth.

Ishmael is a Gorilla who is able to communicate telepathically. He takes on a nameless human student and proceeds to teach his philosophy using the Socratic method of dialogue.

He teaches his student about “Taker” societies and “Leaver” societies, and how Takers are always breaking the immutable laws of nature. Ishmael explains, “The premise of the Takers’ story is ‘The world belongs to man.’ …The premise of the Leavers’ story is ‘Man belongs to the world.’”

Ishmael argues that civilized societies (takers) are failing the world, and that human supremacy is nothing more than a cultural myth, asserting that Takers are enacting that myth with dangerous consequences, such as endangered or extinct species, global warming, and modern mental health illnesses. This novel is truly an adventure of the mind and spirit that forces us to think outside the box of our anthropocentric tendency to perceive an otherwise indifferent and interdependent cosmos.

“Beware of the person of one book.” ~ Thomas Aquinas

Honorable Mentions

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Care of the Soul by Thomas Moore
Seat of the Soul by Gary Zukav
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Persig
The Way of Zen by Alan Watts

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