As a teenager, Steve Briggs met his guru at a meditation retreat in the Swiss Alps. After studying English Literature at the University of Arizona on a tennis scholarship, the author received an MBA and a Ph.D. in Vedic Studies and traveled internationally instructing thousands in the art of meditation.
Steve is a devotee of Mata Amritanandamayi (Amma), whom he met in India in 1996. He has been practicing Transcendental Meditation (TM) for the past 46 years and credits his guru, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, with showing him the path to enlightenment.
Steve currently coaches the Maharishi School boys' tennis team. His players have won four state high school championships, including the 2014 triple crown. Steve has trained two national champions and a top 50 ATP professional tour player.
In 1994, Steve Briggs was sent to India to teach TM to corporate executives. During his seven years in India, Steve traveled repeatedly to the high Himalaya where he encountered many yogis and sadhus.
The author’s first book, India Mirror of Truth, was a popular memoir about his time in India.
Steve's second book, The Tale of the Himalayan Yogis: The Nirvana Chronicles, is a novel set in India and Tibet.
Website: stevebriggsauthor.com
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Transcript of this interview.
Interview recorded September 24, 2018.
YouTube Video Chapters:
00:00:00 - Introduction with Rick Archer
00:04:56 - Tennis and the Zone
00:08:54 - The Search for an Advantage in Tennis
00:13:10 - The Role of Myelin in Performance
00:17:38 - The Beginning of Tennis
00:21:39 - Witnessing Consciousness & Athletes' Experiences
00:25:35 - Immersed in the World of Kali
00:29:51 - The Power of a Higher Vibration
00:33:41 - Perception Without the Senses
00:38:14 - Exploring Consciousness and Awakening
00:42:39 - The Meaning of the Mantra
00:47:19 - Devotion towards Higher Beings
00:51:49 - The Erosion of Fear and Emotional Discipline
00:56:10 - Shifting from Head to Heart
01:00:40 - Breathing Your Way to Enlightenment
01:04:55 - The Importance of Variety in Daily Life
01:09:02 - The Connection Between Emotions and Health
01:13:04 - The Importance of Checks and Balances
01:17:12 - The Dangers of Intense Spiritual Practices
01:21:21 - Meeting Babaji in Different Forms
01:25:27 - A Mysterious Encounter in Varanasi
01:29:26 - Encounters in the Himalayas
01:33:45 - Levitation and the Human Relationship to Laws of Nature
01:38:01 - Proper use of extraordinary abilities
01:41:57 - The Reality of Gurus and Ethics
01:46:25 - The correlation between higher states of consciousness and ethical behavior
01:50:21 - Trusting Your Inner Wisdom
01:54:34 - Feeding the Dogs and Learning Humility
01:58:38 - The Restless Devotee
02:02:53 - The Buddha Tradition and Feeding Tigers
02:07:09 - A Fellow Traveler on the Spiritual Path