Path to Peace with Todd Perelmuter

Without knowing hardly anything about Buddhism, Todd Perelmuter decided to jump in with both feet by going to live at a Buddhist monastery as a monk in the Himalayan mountains in India.After months living in complete silence, without technology or a phone, and even without books except for Buddhist texts, Todd discovered a wisdom and philosophy that would totally change his life as it had for countless Buddhists for more than two and a half millenia.In this podcast you'll learn about this time-tested, age-old, life-changing philosophy as Todd recounts his story there. As a Buddhist monk told Todd in his time there, "Buddhism is not a religion, it is a way of life." No matter what you believe, or don't believe, their psychological and spiritual techniques can surely help anyone get through anything.To learn more about Buddhism and mindfulness, check out this great video that really gets to the heart of what mindfulness means and how to apply it to your daily life: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTPCJgvRLl4For other info and to ask us any questions you may have, reach out to @ToddPerel on Twitter or Instagram and we'll do our best to answer it in a blog, podcast or YouTube video.Until next time, peace and love.*****If my words have ever touched your heart or helped you through a hard moment, I’d be deeply grateful for your support in keeping this podcast alive. Support the Podcast And if you’d like to explore these ideas in greater depth, you can find all of my books here.

When is the right age to teach mindfulness to kids? How do you do it? Should you do it? In this podcast, Todd answers these questions and many more about teaching mindfulness to children.While kids may not suffer from the same stresses as adults and may not need to get the same benefits as adults, mindfulness for kids comes with countless other benefits. Studies have shown that kids who learn mindfulness are less impulsive, more focused, have longer attention spans, are more patient, better behaved, have better relationships, and even their grades are better! From the child's perspective, they'll enjoy doing it for reasons like performing better at sports, just like how their hero Tom Brady meditates.When it comes to learning mindfulness, the earlier the better. This helps set kids up for success throughout their whole life, both personally and professionally. These essential skills learned at an early age will do wonders for them and those around them. The habits they learn now will come easier at a young age and will last them a lifetime.You can find more ways to teach mindfulness to kids at eastwesticism.org/explaining-mindfulness-to-children/ and we post lots of information on social media at @toddperel as well.Peace and love.*****If my words have ever touched your heart or helped you through a hard moment, I’d be deeply grateful for your support in keeping this podcast alive. Support the Podcast And if you’d like to explore these ideas in greater depth, you can find all of my books here.

Ever thought of Eat Pray Love -ing your way around the world? Ever thought you might like to try following in the footsteps of the Beatles and going to Rishikesh, India to get your meditation on?  Ever wondered what really goes on in these places and if the key to your happiness lies inside? Then you're going to want to hear this podcast. In this episode, Todd Perelmuter recounts his experience in India, traveling to Rishikesh and staying at one of the most expensive ashrams in India.At this ashram, Todd splurged on all the bells and whistles. He got the custom package which included the most private sittings with the guru, he got the private deluxe room, he got the extra massages and the extra lessons in Ayurvedic wholistic medicine. Will it be true that you get what you pay for, or will the guru be laughing all the way to the bank? You'll find out!Follow us on social media at @ToddPerel and find daily meditations on our EastWesticism youtube page at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJllZs2ALP_IRDmBclG4nlg/featured*****If my words have ever touched your heart or helped you through a hard moment, I’d be deeply grateful for your support in keeping this podcast alive. Support the Podcast And if you’d like to explore these ideas in greater depth, you can find all of my books here.

As meditation ha exploded in popularity, many people – especially Christians – have been wondering if it's ok to meditate or if it's a sin. People of many different faiths have wondered if meditating in the styles of Eastern traditions, such as Hinduism and Buddhism, go against their own religion. In Christianity, the Bible says that anything not mentioned in the Bible is under the influence of Satan in an effort to steer Christians away from Jesus. So, is it a sin? Will Christians go to hell if they meditate?In this podcast, Todd explores what the Bible has to say about meditation, what meditation is, and whether it is in conflict with any religion's beliefs and practices. See what Jesus said and decide for yourself if you think meditation is a sin, or would have Jesus's blessing.Go further in depth into this topic with this blog post at https://www.eastwesticism.org/can-christians-meditate/ and find some christian-approved meditations here at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJllZs2ALP_IRDmBclG4nlg/featuredDon't forget to subscribe and give us 5 stars! Peace and love.*****If my words have ever touched your heart or helped you through a hard moment, I’d be deeply grateful for your support in keeping this podcast alive. Support the Podcast And if you’d like to explore these ideas in greater depth, you can find all of my books here.

This is the story of Todd's first experience in an ashram in India. Invited by his friend's family who has a house there, they got permission from the guru himself that I could come and stay there – something not usually done for outsiders.What Todd found was beyond his wildest imagination. At this ashram – supposedly the largest one in India – devoted followers, a beloved leader, and an intoxicating atmosphere of joy and friendliness created an allure almost too strong to resist.From 2.5 hours of daily meditation to hours and hours of unpaid, backbreaking, hand-blistering  work breaking bricks into smaller pieces with a hammer so they could fill out the concrete that was to be poured for a new construction project, Todd learned the value of selfless-service and strong community.But lurking just beyond the shadows were secrets and deceptions that made this magical place a little too good to be true. Hear the story and learn the meditation practice he was taught there in this fascinating podcast on this fascinating ashram.Follow @ToddPerel on social media and you can see more of his meditations on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJllZs2ALP_IRDmBclG4nlg/featured*****If my words have ever touched your heart or helped you through a hard moment, I’d be deeply grateful for your support in keeping this podcast alive. Support the Podcast And if you’d like to explore these ideas in greater depth, you can find all of my books here.

One of the most common questions Todd gets is, "When is the best time to meditate?" Many meditation teachers have many different answers to that question and they give many different reasons for their answer. In this podcast, Todd goes into all the different theories about when to meditate is best, he explores what the science says about it, and he reveals the one true answer to that question that will put any doubts to rest. The answer may surprise you.Please take a moment to give us 5 stars, subscribe and write a short review. Your karma will be super good :)For more some great guided meditations, check out https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJllZs2ALP_IRDmBclG4nlg/featuredPeace and love.*****If my words have ever touched your heart or helped you through a hard moment, I’d be deeply grateful for your support in keeping this podcast alive. Support the Podcast And if you’d like to explore these ideas in greater depth, you can find all of my books here.

After quitting his high-paying advertising job, giving away all his belongings, moving out of his New York City apartment and buying a one-way ticket to India, he finally arrives in spiritual capital of the world.Hear what he finds, what he does, and how he got fleeced twice in two days.  See how everything he had been searching for miraculously presented itself to him. Learn the lessons that India taught him when he arrived and where he decided to go after Mumbai.You can also follow his journey on social media at @toddperel and learn more about meditation at www.Eastwesticism.org.*****If my words have ever touched your heart or helped you through a hard moment, I’d be deeply grateful for your support in keeping this podcast alive. Support the Podcast And if you’d like to explore these ideas in greater depth, you can find all of my books here.

Because most people can't sit down and instantly clear their mind, they think they might be doing it wrong. Or worse, they think they just can't meditate and that meditation is not for them. But if I were doing something my entire life – thinking – and suddenly tried to stop, it might not happen as fast as I'd like it to.Luckily, meditation is not about clearing your mind of all thoughts. It's about becoming conscious – or mindful – of your thoughts. The more aware we become of our thoughts and the more we sit still without distraction to simply observe our mind, the more our minds stop mindlessly creating suffering and the more we consciously choose for it to create joy and peace in our lives. In this podcast, Todd answers this common question and explains how to meditate correctly, and more importantly, how to approach meditation correctly. So relax, kick back, and discover the best way to get started in meditation. Follow us on social media at @toddperel, subscribe to our newsletter at EastWesticism.org, and give our podcast a 5-star review, yes you :) Peace and love.*****If my words have ever touched your heart or helped you through a hard moment, I’d be deeply grateful for your support in keeping this podcast alive. Support the Podcast And if you’d like to explore these ideas in greater depth, you can find all of my books here.

After meeting his shaman in Chile who told him to follow his heart, Todd returned to his NYC life. He was a highly awarded Creative Director at the world's largest ad agency, all by the age of 31. Hear what possessed him to leave it all behind in search of meaning and purpose. On this podcast, we'll be sharing stories and spiritual lessons from throughout his 9 year journey. So in case you don't have 9 years to drop everything and go live in monasteries and ashrams, you can get the same benefits and advantages by following along.Follow his journey on social media at @toddperel and learn more about meditation at www.Eastwesticism.org.*****If my words have ever touched your heart or helped you through a hard moment, I’d be deeply grateful for your support in keeping this podcast alive. Support the Podcast And if you’d like to explore these ideas in greater depth, you can find all of my books here.

In today's podcast, Todd Perelmuter answers a common question about a meditation style known as Open-Eyed Meditation. Open-Eye Meditation varies from staring at a candle flame to staring at a crystal, from staring at a statue of a God or staring at a blank wall. If you've been curious about this form of meditation, check it out and let us know what you think on social media at @toddperel.The fact is, almost any meditation is a great spiritual practice that has some benefit, and this one is no different. From more joy, more peace, more patience and a greater sense of awareness and focus, greater physical and mental health, meditation comes with numerous benefits. Here, Todd explores the the differences that keeping your eyes open can make.Learn more about meditation at Eastwesticism.org.*****If my words have ever touched your heart or helped you through a hard moment, I’d be deeply grateful for your support in keeping this podcast alive. Support the Podcast And if you’d like to explore these ideas in greater depth, you can find all of my books here.