Will you rest comfortably in all that’s familiar? Will you, in Yogananda’s immortal words, “bask in the familial warmth”? Or will you embrace self-expansion and as yet uncharted waters? This choice is always before us.

Anxiety is one of the diseases of our age, affecting almost two-thirds of the population, with nearly a third finding it debilitating. Anxiety, therefore, can be seen as a disease of the nerves, and the following physical methods can help cool our system and alleviate symptoms.

How can I help family members who are going through a difficult time, or have a sour relationship with one another, without being affected by the situation personally? How does one know when to intervene and support, and when to be an observer and send support from a distance?

What are some of the things we can do to calm the restless mind? A few ways to resolve this ancient problem for meditators.

How can we find spirituality in big city life? Opportunities to overcome distractions and more.

For restless people, conditions like the recent snowfalls are probably a torment. For yogis, being forced to go within is actually quite nice. The snow brings with it some wonderful lessons. Here are a few that have struck me:

Memory, in its highest expression, is much more than remembering what is on a grocery list. It is the soul’s ability to transcend the limitations of time.

Paramhansa Yogananda spoke of the “easy resurrection of memory” through which he brought to mind past experiences with his guru, Sri Yukteswar. With a trained and heightened sense of memory, we can meld past, present, and future into the eternal now. Patanjali, the ancient authority on yoga, described spiritual awakening as smriti, which means “memory.”

The yogic teachings describe three different levels of our awareness. The subconscious mind is the repository of all of our past experiences, impressions, and thoughts. It’s the archives for our memories, not only of this life, but of all of our lives.

Karma is one of the fundamental laws of the universe. Basically, it states that every thought, feeling, and action has a consequence. In the Bible, it says, “As you sow, so shall you reap.” Here are four ways to outwit our karmic consequences.

A perfect analogy for the challenges on our spiritual journey.

The most important points from the three sessions Devi and I did during Inner Renewal Retreat.