We are always striving to attain more and more in our lives. But, every now and again, we get the impression that we haven't done enough with our time. No amount of accomplishment is capable of bringing us fulfilment. And, it's also not a bad thing to have a lot of achievements on your scoreboard.But, more importantly, are we truly enjoying the process or simply trying to finish the race? Unfortunately, even after winning, we often postpone our celebrations until we reach the pinnacle of achievement.In this Ask Me Anything session, Thom Knoles explains why it is critical to enjoy the process of achieving something and how we cannot fail when we are enjoying the process. Thom also tells how we can experience the natural expression of our emotions.Episode Highlights:[00:00] - Q - What is the Vedic Worldview of Emotional Healing?[01:12] - De-Exciting the Consciousness[01:54] - Making the Healing Process Rapid[03:08] - Vedic Meditation is Good for Emotional Healing[04:19] - Vedic Meditation Awakens Your Brain's Power[05:53] - The Removal of Stress[07:28] - Q - How Should We Evaluate Our Accomplishments?[07:44] - The Process is the Outcome[08:59] - Baseline Happiness[10:03] - The Problem of Collective Consciousness[10:55] - The Best Way to Feel Emotions Without Stuffing Them[11:22] - We Avoid Mood Making[12:13] - Establishing Inner Awareness[13:26] - Becoming Fearless[14:34] - Paying Attention to the Body SensationsUseful Linksinfo@thomknoles.com https://thomknoles.com/https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoles/https://www.facebook.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoles https://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/

When we think of feminine and masculine, typically we tend to think in terms of gender, i.e. female and male but the Vedic worldview has a much broader approach than the arrangement or expression of chromosomes. In Vedic circles the feminine and masculine are seen as aspects of creation, present everywhere and in everything. Wherever there is masculine there is always feminine, and vice versa, with the feminine often referred to as Mother Divine and celebrated through a vast range of personifications* and a range of festivals or holy days. One of those festivals is Navratri Sharad, a celebration of triumph over ignorance, held over nine nights and 10 days in the fall of each year (Northern Hemisphere fall, Southern Hemisphere spring).Though each night of Navratri Sharad honors specific representations of Mother Divine, Thom invites us in this episode to use the festival as a springboard to making the celebration of the feminine an everyday occurrence and an opportunity to continuously explore just what the feminine is and how She is represented in everyday life.  *For more on the personification of aspects of creation, listen to our three-part series on God, Gods and Goddesses.Sharad Navratri Dates 2021: October 7 (Thursday) to October 15 (Friday)See here for dates in other years  - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navaratri Episode highlights: [00:40] Navratri Sharad - Nine Nights of the Divine Mother[02:22] A Range of Appreciation [03:14] Connecting the Dots [04:35] Removing Limitations [05:43] Vijayadashami - The Tenth Night [07:00] An Expansive View of Divine MotherUseful Linksinfo@thomknoles.com https://thomknoles.com/https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoles/https://www.facebook.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoles https://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/

Over the period of 25 years, Thom Knoles got to spend many extended periods of time with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi as a student and a ‘replicant,’ one of many charged with the task of sharing Vedic wisdom with the world.In this episode, another instalment of the My Maharishi series, Thom recounts some of the aspects of daily life and travels with Maharishi, including Maharishi’s tireless round-the-clock efforts to fit as much teaching into his lifetime as he possibly could.Warning - This episode may require you to reassess your current standard for ‘busy’ :-). Episode Highlights: [00:40] An Unusual Man in Every Respect [02:00] The Light of the World [03:35] Ask, Ask [04:59] Who’s Awake? [06:11] Conscious Rest [07:40] My Waking is More Restful than Your Sleep [08:38] I’m in a Hurry [09:25] More Multiplication[07:40] My Waking is More Restful than Your Sleep [08:38] I’m in a Hurry [09:25] More Multiplication Useful Linksinfo@thomknoles.com https://thomknoles.com/https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoles/https://www.facebook.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoles https://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/

Humans have been using substances to have ‘extraordinary experiences’ for millenia. Sometimes this is motivated by a simple sense of curiosity, and at other times it might be to ‘fill a void,’ while in other cases it might be motivated by a promise of an elusive ‘spiritual experience.’ In some cases it leads to addiction and dependence, while in others it might just be a bucket-list experience that someone moves on from.In this episode, Thom takes a non-judgemental look at the motivation and impact of such experiences, and outlines an alternative approach, one that’s more sustainable and that leads to a ‘permanent high’ that most people couldn’t even conceive of.Episode Highlights: [00:40] The Desire to Belong[02:29] Tribal Life [04:27] A Sense of Identity [06:00] Join the Club [07:14] Human Beings Crave Variety [08:33] The Nature of the Knower [09:51] Badge of Rank [11:29] The Difference Between a Cult and a Religion [12:39] Shibboleth [13:25] Drugs [14:35] Why Drugs Work[15:59] Endogenous Chemicals [18:03] The Prime Directive of the Body[19:32] Ayahuasca, LSD, THC [21:13] Mimicking Molecules [22:44] Lizards on LSD and Psychotic Dogs [24:31] The Confused Body [26:23] Sublimation and Addiction [27:47] An Overload of Experience [29:35] Premature Cognitive Commitments [31:10] Psychedelic Experiences [33:11] Where Are the Icons of Drug Use? [35:19] A Sustainable Systematic Approach [37:32] What About Soma? [38:30] Vedic Meditation - A Better Methodology [39:44] An Overload of Experience [41:21] Supreme, Inner Contentedness [43:01] An Experience of Self [44:57] Our Body is a Drug-Producing Machine [46:19] Unsustainable Ways to Extraordinary Experiences [47:26] The 4/20 Club and Counterfeit Substances [49:13] Consciousness-Led Experiences [50:35] A Perpetual Psychedelic State [51:59] Learning the Sustainable Way [53:28] Being in the Tribe [54:29] A Regular Daily Practice Useful Linksinfo@thomknoles.com https://thomknoles.com/https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoles/https://www.facebook.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoles https://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/

Mantras are central to the practice of Vedic Meditation, but different understandings about what the word mantra means sometimes lead people to misunderstand how the mantra is used.For some, the word mantra means ‘a slogan’ or a tagline of sorts, used as a way of encapsulating a group point of view. For others, a mantra is a tool to aid concentration or to use as an affirmation.In Vedic Meditation the use of the mantra is very different. To understand this difference, you need to understand the distinction between ‘charm’ and suggestibility, which Thom explains simply and beautifully in this podcast episodeEpisode Highlights: [00:40] Mantra - A Mind Vehicle [01:47] Bija Mantra[03:26] Attraction and Distraction[04:52] Beyond Meaning[05:47] Hypnosis and Suggestibility[07:05] Suggestibility is a Social Problem[07:59] Becoming Less Suggestible[08:42] Using the Intellect in the Proper WayUseful Links: info@thomknoles.com https://thomknoles.com/https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoles/https://www.facebook.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoles https://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/

After 50 plus years of instructing Vedic Meditation, and 50,000 plus students, Thom Knoles has accumulated thousands of shared memories with these students.In this episode Thom shares a delightful anecdote about Sophie, who learned Vedic Meditation with Thom when she was only eight years old, and how Sophie’s wisdom helped Thom teach the concept of Cosmic Consciousness to a roomful of adults.Episode Highlights: [00:40] Sophie from New York[02:09] What will come into your consciousness state?[03:25] Cosmic Consciousness[04:58] Deep Diving[06:19] A Simple ExplanationUseful Links: info@thomknoles.com https://thomknoles.com/https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoles/https://www.facebook.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoles https://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/

While Maharishi Mahesh Yogi spent thousands of hours teaching his students formally, often it was the day-to-day life situations that provided the most profound teaching moments.In this, another instalment of the My Maharishi series, Thom shares a delightful anecdote of a picnic in Switzerland that gave rise to one of Maharishi’s most famous sayings, “You can't stop someone from behaving according to their level of consciousness.”Enjoy this short but sweet episode.Episode Highlights:[00:40] Out in the Field[01:51] The Numbers Game[02:32] A Picnic in Switzerland[04:04] A Photo Opportunity[05:15] A Trivializing Gesture[06:17] Don’t Expect Mangoes From a Walnut Tree[07:17] Consciousness Dictates BehaviorUseful Links: info@thomknoles.com https://thomknoles.com/https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoles/https://www.facebook.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoles https://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/

Yet another interesting mix of questions in today’s Ask Me Anything episode with Thom.In discussing 5D, The Fifth Dimension, Thom explains how premature contentedness is the enemy of enlightenment and that, regardless of what we call it, the true measure of progress is to become an exemplar of Self realized consciousness.He describes the Vedic worldview on the incarnation of babies (including fetuses) who only remain with us for a short while.Thom also describes how common measures of ‘success’ (money and fame) are irrelevant to our effectiveness in meeting the need of the time.In this episode, Thom also pays homage to Paramahansa Yogananda, author of Autobiography of a Yogi and an inspiring leader in the 20th century.Episode Highlights: [00:40] Q - Please Comment on 5D (The Fifth Dimension) and Its Effect on Our Meditation Practice[01:11] Santosha - The Enemy of Enlightenment [02:10] Premature Contentedness[03:31] Self Realization Means Self Actualization[05:11] Chronic Brain Failure[06:21] Earned Contentedness[07:20] Q - What is the Relevance of ‘Spirit Babies’ and Reincarnation?[07:51] Jiva - Individualized Consciousness[08:49] The Quickening[09:33] Separating From the Body[10:34] Karma and Unfinished Business[12:11] Q - Should We ‘Bend a Little’ to Extend Our Reach and Generate Wealth?[12:42] Money Means Absolutely Nothing[13:28] Living an Authentic Life[14:11] You Minus the Thoughts = Bliss[14:40] Co-incidence[15:39] You Are Totality[16:29] What Good is Money?[17:19] Q - How Does the Vedic worldview and Paramahansa Yogananda's School of Thought Relate? Can you Compare Kriya Yoga to Vedic Meditation?[17:42] Yoga - Union of the Individual Mind With Cosmic Mind[18:49] Kriya Yoga and Nishkam Karma Yoga[20:07] The Airplane Method and the Jumbo Jet Method[21:03] A Branch of the TreeUseful Links: info@thomknoles.com https://thomknoles.com/https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoles/https://www.facebook.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoles https://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/

In this short bonus episode, Thom shares a couple of bite-sized nuggets of wisdom to address two problems of epidemic proportions, insomnia, and a lack of meaning or purpose.He starts with a delightful story of how Maharishi Mahesh Yogi learned that better sleep was one of the more popular ‘side effects’ of meditation when he first came to the United States. He also explains the cause of insomnia and why Vedic Meditation is the ultimate cure for it.And in relation to meaning and purpose, Thom outlines that the lack of meaning or purpose comes about because we don’t have a direct experience of our own true, inner nature. Once we have that experience, the experience of true Bliss, which of course we can get through Vedic Meditation, then our role in evolution becomes self evident, and meaning and purpose are naturally met.Enjoy!Episode Highlights:[00:48] Meditation Beats Insomnia[02:11] The Cause of Insomnia[03:21] The Unwinding of Stress [04:51] Deeper Rest Than Sleep Through Meditation[06:15] Awakening the Mind to Its Fullest Potential [07:09] A Search for Meaning[07:44] A Search for Our True Identity[08:48] What’s This All About?[09:31] Direct Experience of Bliss[11:04] Your Real Purpose in LifeUseful Links: info@thomknoles.com https://thomknoles.com/https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoles/https://www.facebook.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoles https://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/

All of us want to be known for something heroic, but who decides who are the heroes and who are the villains? And do the villains perhaps think of themselves as heroic? Would the heroes even be heroes if there were no villains? In this episode Thom, once again, shines a new light on a subject that has been with humankind since we first developed the ability to create and share experiences and stories.He explains that it isn’t an either/or argument and offers an alternative option. One that we can all aspire to without the pressure of ‘taking sides’…Episode Highlights:[00:40] The Trichotomy of Evolution[03:12] Writers of History and Drawers of Maps [04:28] Consciousness Drives Behavior[06:18] Semi-Omnipotence [08:11] Bifurcation - Breaking of Symmetry [10:09] Elevational Theater [12:02] The Supersymmetric State of Contentedness [13:37] The Fall From the Status Quo [15:13] A Sawtooth Pattern of Plateau [16:55] Succession [17:45] An Eternity of Torture [19:23] Saved From Hell [20:50] Were the Romans Villains? [22:12] Or Were They Heroes? [23:42] We’re the Good Guys [25:02] Standing Outside of Our Indoctrination [26:31] Communists and Capitalists [28:09] All Of Us Want to Be Heroic [29:31] We All Started From the Same Place, But... [30:53] Holding On to Complacency [32:31] Being the Seer [34:17] How is Nature Trending? [35:35] A True Hero [37:04] Zero Rigid Attachment [38:27] Impartial Guidance [40:20] Become a Rishi Useful Links: info@thomknoles.com https://thomknoles.com/https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoles/https://www.facebook.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoles https://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/