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