The Nature of Joy and Self-Exploration

On this special episode The Know Thyself Podcast we are joined by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar to explore the nature of waking up to our true selves, AND an extended listener Q&A with André - in celebration of 100K subscribers! In this bite-sized interview with Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, he reveals how to return to joy as your natural state, breaking free from the illusion of unhappiness or stress. He shares the practices he teaches at "The Art of Living" Foundation which helps people to quiet the mind and awaken to who they truly are. After the interview, André sits down to answer some of your questions about the podcast, his personal journey, and his best advice for knowing yourself at a deeper level. André dives into some of the most asked questions like: How do you use social media in a conscious way? How can you balance living your dharma while achieving financial abundance? and where are those chairs from?! We have many exciting things to come for the Know Thyself Podcast, including a special course exploring coming home to your true self. Join our mailing list to be the first to know when it launches! https://www.knowthyself.one/newsletter SPONSOR: https://www.mudwtr.com/knowthyself Code: KNOWTHYSELF for 15% off (Currently only ships to US & Canada) ___________ Timecodes: 0:00 Intro 1:23 Joy is our natural state 2:29 Finding Your True Self & Breaking the Illusion 4:49 The Beautiful Mystery of Life 6:33 How to Quiet the Mind 7:19 Our Seeking for Freedom 8:50 His journey to impacting the world 11:32 What True Wisdom Is 13:32 Becoming Who We truly are 14:22 Why We Doubt the Positive 15:52 His Personal Journey 20:34 Relationships 22:05 World Culture Festival 23:48 Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's Vision for Humanity 24:35 Celebrating 100k Subscribers 28:06 What is your process for preparing for podcasts? 29:45 My First Spiritual Experience/Awakening 31:18 Why I Started Know Thyself 33:35 Where the Chairs are From 34:22 How did ancient technology with water and the human body actually work? 34:35 How do you think you got to 100k? 35:01 What moment made you step back and say "wow, I’m really doing this?" 36:41 Do you still fear feeling certain emotions? 37:37 What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learned so far? 39:11 My Dream for Know Thyself 42:01 What is your favorite episode? 42:38 Balancing the Masculine & Feminine Energies 44:20 What Motivates Me Everyday 45:15 Overcoming the Fear of Sharing on Social Media 47:19 Dealing with the Pitfalls of Social Media 48:03 How to Become a Conscious Creator of Your Dreams 49:51 How has Shoonya Meditation Affected Your Life? 50:56 How to Move to a Space of Divine Union Within Yourself? 51:51 Dating on the Spiritual Journey 53:38 What is the Most Influential Answer You’ve Heard on a Podcast of Yours? 54:44 Do you pray? 56:17 What was your path as a young adult? 57:45 What does it mean to have a vision of the future for you? 58:35 Living Your Dharma While Being Financially Abundant 1:00:26 Connecting with the inner child, in the context of non-duality 1:02:20 Are You Plant Based? 1:02:50 Conclusion ___________ Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is a humanitarian, spiritual leader and an ambassador of peace and human values. Through his life and work, Gurudev has inspired millions around the world with a vision of a stress-free, violence-free world. He has designed programs that provide techniques and tools to live a deeper, more joyous life and has established nonprofit organizations that recognize the human identity beyond the boundaries of gender, race, nationality, and religion. Website: https://www.srisriravishankar.org Art of Living Foundation: https://www.artofliving.org/us-en Book, "Notes for the Journey Within: https://www.amazon.com/Notes-Journey-Within-Essentials-Living/dp/B0BYZDCZDN World Culture Festival: https://www.srisriravishankar.org/tour-schedule/world-culture-festival-2023/ ___________ André Duqum Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andreduqum/