Jai Guru Deva.

We just wanted to remind you that you currently have two opportunities to spend some quality time with Thom at his upcoming retreats in Sedona, Arizona, from May 22-26, and Gerringong, Australlia from June 25-29.

These retreats are your chance to get away to rexperience deep rest, industrial-strength stress release, quality company, and higher states of consciousness.

Most importantly, you'll have close-up access to Thom at his famous lectures and Q&A sessions.

Whether you are troubled by the changes the world is experiencing right now, or simply looking to fast-track your evolution, quality time with Thom is the ideal opportunity to tap into the wisdom you need at this time.

Thom looks forward to seeing you in Sedona or Gerringong!

Find out more at thomknoles.com/retreats. That's thomknoles.com/retreats.

More listener questions on the podcast this episode, with the focus on the metaphysical.

Thom puts a surprising twist in his answer to a question on time travel and gives us clues as to how we can sense the future in the making.

He has an emphatic response to a question about the Law of Attraction, one that will help you make your mind up if you’re in doubt about whether it’s real or not.

And he gives us some advice as to how we can use external influences to our benefit when it comes to our health and wellbeing (Spoiler alert: It’s an inside job!).

Episode Highlights

[00:45] Q - Is Time Travel Possible?

[00:49] A - What Does Now Mean?

[02:20] Deva

[04:53] Capturing Past and Future

[06:35] You Sense the Future in the Making

[08:33] Constructing the Future

[10:28] That's Time Travel

[12:03] Q - Is the Law of Attraction a Myth?

[12:07] A - "Don't Be a Defeatist."

[13:46] Individuality is on a Mission

[15:32] The Universe is Not Your Sugar Daddy

[17:26] Attraction Has Nothing to Do With Anything

[19:40] Q - Is the Body Influenced by EMR or Plant Essences?

[20:32] A - Let There Be Light

[21:57] Let's Make Ourselves Resilient

[23:54] Will We Dodge Bullets or Become Bulletproof?

[25:46] Stabilize and Purify

[27:18] Self Realization for All Purposes

Useful Links

[email protected]  

https://thomknoles.com/

https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoles

https://www.facebook.com/thethomknoles

https://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoles

https://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/

Jai Guru Deva.

We just wanted to remind you that you currently have two opportunities to spend some quality time with Thom at his upcoming retreats in Sedona, Arizona, from May 22-26, and Gerringong, Australlia from June 25-29.

These retreats are your chance to get away to rexperience deep rest, industrial-strength stress release, quality company, and higher states of consciousness.

Most importantly, you'll have close-up access to Thom at his famous lectures and Q&A sessions.

Whether you are troubled by the changes the world is experiencing right now, or simply looking to fast-track your evolution, quality time with Thom is the ideal opportunity to tap into the wisdom you need at this time.

Thom looks forward to seeing you in Sedona or Gerringong!

Find out more at thomknoles.com/retreats. That's thomknoles.com/retreats.

Vedic mythos, or storytelling, is often laced with humor to get a point across. 

In this episode of the podcast, Thom recounts a tale from the Katha Upanishad, of a Sergeant and a General. It’s a scenario that wouldn’t look out of place in an episode of “The Office” or any other workplace sitcom. 

Having a character take credit for someone else’s idea and then retelling it back to them is a pretty common gag, but in the Upanishad, it’s much more than just a tool for a cheap laugh. 

It’s a profound lesson which, once learned, can be a source of empowerment and a tool for living a more deliberate life.

Episode Highlights

[00:56] Katha Upanishad

[03:19] A Friend in the Sky

[05:27] The Breaking of Unity

[07:31] "You see that hill there?"

[09:57] An Amazing Idea

[11:44] A Source of Thoughts Deep Inside of Us

[14:11] A Wave is Nothing but Ocean

[16:44] Desire

[19:12] I Am Totality

[21:28] A Parody on Praying to God

[22:39] An Unnecessary Step

[23:52] We Just Say Yes

[26:53] Permitted to Act

Useful Links

[email protected]  

https://thomknoles.com/

https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoles

https://www.facebook.com/thethomknoles

https://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoles

https://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/

Jai Guru Deva.

We just wanted to remind you that you currently have two opportunities to spend some quality time with Thom at his upcoming retreats in Sedona, Arizona, from May 22-26, and Gerringong, Australlia from June 25-29.

These retreats are your chance to get away to rexperience deep rest, industrial-strength stress release, quality company, and higher states of consciousness.

Most importantly, you'll have close-up access to Thom at his famous lectures and Q&A sessions.

Whether you are troubled by the changes the world is experiencing right now, or simply looking to fast-track your evolution, quality time with Thom is the ideal opportunity to tap into the wisdom you need at this time.

Thom looks forward to seeing you in Sedona or Gerringong!

Find out more at thomknoles.com/retreats. That's thomknoles.com/retreats.

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi was ahead of his time in 1975, when he predicted an end to The Cold War and the fall of the Berlin Wall, among many other changes that he foresaw as arising from the dawning of the ‘Age of Enlightenment.’

With The Cold War showing no signs of thawing at the time, most people saw it as a fanciful notion at best. Yet Maharishi, the great seer, saw it as an inevitable outcome of the shift in consciousness that was growing in pace at the time. 

Following on from our recent episode, The Yugas and the Importance of Understanding Them Correctly, in this episode Thom discusses Kali Yuga, the age of ignorance, in more detail. 

He explains the role of consciousness and how enlightenment and ignorance can coexist, just as the moon can bring light to the night. Most importantly, he explains that the age of ignorance doesn’t place limits on our experience, individually or collectively.

Episode Highlights

[00:55] Kali Yuga—The Age of Ignorance

[02:48] The Dawning of the Age of Enlightenment

[04:44] Seven Days of Silence

[06:44] The Cold War at its Peak

[08:21] The Mutually-Assured Destruction Philosophy

[09:53] Things Will Get Better

[10:51] Enjoying the Good News

[12:00] Incremental Improvements

[13:42] Dawning Cannot But Happen in Darkness

[15:55] Part of the Solution

[17:31] The Meditator's Advantage

[19:19] There is a Lot of Work to be Done

[20:30] Underutilized Potential

[21:46] Impatient Behavior

[23:42] Demands Become Pivot Points

[25:38] Liberating Our Full Potential

[27:11] Resisting the Progress

[29:43] I Am Also the Big Self

[31:30] We Become Lighthouses

[32:52] This is What Light Does

[34:59] Who Knew?

[36:44] Become Masters of the Transcendental Smile

[37:50] We Feel Very Secure

Useful Links

[email protected] 

https://thomknoles.com/

https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoles

https://www.facebook.com/thethomknoles

https://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoles

https://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/

Jai Guru Deva.

We just wanted to remind you that you currently have two opportunities to spend some quality time with Thom at his upcoming retreats in Sedona, Arizona, from May 22-26, and Gerringong, Australlia from June 25-29.

These retreats are your chance to get away to rexperience deep rest, industrial-strength stress release, quality company, and higher states of consciousness.

Most importantly, you'll have close-up access to Thom at his famous lectures and Q&A sessions.

Whether you are troubled by the changes the world is experiencing right now, or simply looking to fast-track your evolution, quality time with Thom is the ideal opportunity to tap into the wisdom you need at this time.

Thom looks forward to seeing you in Sedona or Gerringong!

Find out more at thomknoles.com/retreats. That's thomknoles.com/retreats.

As Eastern philosophies have spread in popularity throughout the world in the past thirty years or so, ‘detachment’ has become somewhat of a buzzword. 

It has become a spiritual scorecard of sorts, the theory being that the more detached one is, the more enlightened one is. Or not…

In this episode Thom sets the record straight, explaining the distinction between detachment, which implies attachment in the first place, and non attachment, which negates any attachment at all.

It’s a subtle distinction but it’s much more than just a semantic argument. 

While one can fake detachment, thus creating another form of attachment, one can’t fake non attachment. As usual, Thom also shows us how to become non attached, without the strain of having to fake it till we make it. 

Episode Highlights

[00:54] Maharishi Patanjali and Yoga Sutra

[03:19] That's Not What Yoga Is

[05:21] Asana, Pranayama, Dhyan

[07:38] Yoga Sutra

[10:24] Not Just Any Old Meditation

[12:46] Vairagya is Not Detachment

[14:56] Detachment Isn't Possible

[16:47] Non-attachment May Occur

[18:57] Neti - Not This

[20:32] Detachment is Not a Practice

[22:12] Detach from Detachment

Useful Links

[email protected]  

https://thomknoles.com/

https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoles

https://www.facebook.com/thethomknoles

https://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoles

https://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/

Jai Guru Deva.

We just wanted to remind you that you currently have two opportunities to spend some quality time with Thom at his upcoming retreats in Sedona, Arizona, from May 22-26, and Gerringong, Australlia from June 25-29.

These retreats are your chance to get away to rexperience deep rest, industrial-strength stress release, quality company, and higher states of consciousness.

Most importantly, you'll have close-up access to Thom at his famous lectures and Q&A sessions.

Whether you are troubled by the changes the world is experiencing right now, or simply looking to fast-track your evolution, quality time with Thom is the ideal opportunity to tap into the wisdom you need at this time.

Thom looks forward to seeing you in Sedona or Gerringong!

Find out more at thomknoles.com/retreats. That's thomknoles.com/retreats.

It’s time for another Ask Me Anything episode, with this one focused on affairs of the heart.

Thom answers a listener’s question about the desirability of a ‘heart awakening’ and explains why being ‘grounded in the unbounded’ is a more preferable state to aim for.

He takes on the question of whether partners in a relationship should ‘be on the same path’ or not, and how to manage the dynamic when they aren’t.

And he gives sage advice for a listener asking about the importance of following through on commitments when our heart is no longer committed to them.   

As always, another round of practical suggestions for everyday situations that we find ourselves in.

[00:45] Q - Should I be Hoping for a Heart Awakening?

[00:58] A - Experiencing Empathy

[02:37] Empathy Can Be an Overshadowing Feeling

[04:39] Spontaneous Ideal Interaction

[06:37] A Completely Useless State to Be In

[08:05] Grounded in the Unbounded

[10:00] Q - Can a Relationship Flourish if We Are On Different Paths?

[10:15] A - Why We're in a Relationship

[12:12] Who is Suffering in a Relationship?

[14:00] What is Suffering?

[15:42] Sharing the Load

[17:10] Be a Shining Example

[18:02] Q - How do We Honor Commitments that No Longer Feel Relevant?

[18:21] A - Commitments Become Unsustainable with Time

[20:27] The Problem of Severability

[22:04] Forgiveness of a Promise

[23:48] The Five Fundamentals of Progress

[24:51] Time is a Great Healer

Useful Links
[email protected] 
https://thomknoles.com/
https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoles/
https://www.facebook.com/thethomknoles
https://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoles 
https://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/

Jai Guru Deva.

We just wanted to remind you that you currently have two opportunities to spend some quality time with Thom at his upcoming retreats in Sedona, Arizona, from May 22-26, and Gerringong, Australlia from June 25-29.

These retreats are your chance to get away to rexperience deep rest, industrial-strength stress release, quality company, and higher states of consciousness.

Most importantly, you'll have close-up access to Thom at his famous lectures and Q&A sessions.

Whether you are troubled by the changes the world is experiencing right now, or simply looking to fast-track your evolution, quality time with Thom is the ideal opportunity to tap into the wisdom you need at this time.

Thom looks forward to seeing you in Sedona or Gerringong!

Find out more at thomknoles.com/retreats. That's thomknoles.com/retreats.

Courage under fire is seen as an admirable quality, but grace under fire even much more so.

In this amusing anecdote, Thom shares an example of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s equanimity amidst a timely mishap. 

Though the mishap itself was relatively minor, the event itself was not; a conference which was pivotal in the revival of ancient Ayurvedic wisdom and practices, and their subsequent spread throughout the world.

[00:55] Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Revives Ayurveda

[02:46] Balancing Agents

[04:49] Three Masters of Ayurveda

[06:33] Masterful Pulse Diagnosis

[07:48] Master of Minerals

[08:36] Marker of the Plant World

[10:13] Amrit Kalash

[11:23] Maharishi Nagar

[12:45] Learning from the Masters

[13:51] Bright Lights

[15:08] Where the Big Bang Comes From

[17:22] Where the Little Bang Comes From

[19:07] Perpetual Big Bang

Useful Links
[email protected] 
https://thomknoles.com/
https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoles/
https://www.facebook.com/thethomknoles
https://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoles 
https://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/

Jai Guru Deva.

We just wanted to remind you that you currently have two opportunities to spend some quality time with Thom at his upcoming retreats in Sedona, Arizona, from May 22-26, and Gerringong, Australlia from June 25-29.

These retreats are your chance to get away to rexperience deep rest, industrial-strength stress release, quality company, and higher states of consciousness.

Most importantly, you'll have close-up access to Thom at his famous lectures and Q&A sessions.

Whether you are troubled by the changes the world is experiencing right now, or simply looking to fast-track your evolution, quality time with Thom is the ideal opportunity to tap into the wisdom you need at this time.

Thom looks forward to seeing you in Sedona or Gerringong!

Find out more at thomknoles.com/retreats. That's thomknoles.com/retreats.

9/11/2001 is a date that’s been imprinted in our memories worldwide. New York City, at the epicenter of the terror attacks, was shaken to its core, literally and figuratively. 

Visiting New York City very soon after, Thom witnessed a distinct shift in the way New Yorkers were relating to each other. 

Thom shares his reflections on that visit in the episode, noting in particular how the 9/11 tragedy brought New Yorkers together for a brief period, and how it seeded what has since become a very large community of Vedic Meditators in the city.

But with over 18 million people living in the metro area, a lot more meditators are needed to address the collective stress that stands in the way of New York becoming even more of an iconic city than she already is.

Thom will be visiting New York City from October 9th to 20th to teach Vedic Meditation and give various talks. To find out more and to register for any of these events, please visit thomknoles.com/newyork. Jai Guru Deva.

[00:00:45] No Appointments

[00:02:42] Retiring from Teaching

[00:05:22] "What About New York City?"

[00:07:24] Journey to NYC

[00:09:34] Something Unusual in the Streets of New York

[00:11:44] Embraced the Stranger

[00:13:44] Healing the Wound of New Yorkers

[00:15:26] Why Should We Need to Have a Tragedy?

[00:17:13] New Tour in NYC

[00:19:08] An Invitation to New York

Useful Links
[email protected] 
https://thomknoles.com/
https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoles/
https://www.facebook.com/thethomknoles
https://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoles 
https://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/

Jai Guru Deva.

We just wanted to remind you that you currently have two opportunities to spend some quality time with Thom at his upcoming retreats in Sedona, Arizona, from May 22-26, and Gerringong, Australlia from June 25-29.

These retreats are your chance to get away to rexperience deep rest, industrial-strength stress release, quality company, and higher states of consciousness.

Most importantly, you'll have close-up access to Thom at his famous lectures and Q&A sessions.

Whether you are troubled by the changes the world is experiencing right now, or simply looking to fast-track your evolution, quality time with Thom is the ideal opportunity to tap into the wisdom you need at this time.

Thom looks forward to seeing you in Sedona or Gerringong!

Find out more at thomknoles.com/retreats. That's thomknoles.com/retreats.

Few rivers have a name as iconic as the Ganges River in India. 

At over 1550 miles (2,500 kms) long, it winds its way from the Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal, passing a population of over 650 million along the way, making it the most populated river basin in the world.

But there is more to the Ganges than just a body of water meandering through the landscape.

In this episode, Thom brings his beloved Ganges to life. He explains why she plays such a significant role in the spiritual life of Indian citizens and visitors who come from around the world just to bathe in her icy waters. 

Thom leaves us in no doubt that the Ganges will justifiably play a pivotal role in our upcoming 2023 retreat in Rishikesh.

If you'd like to attend the retreat with Thom in Rishikesh India from January 8th to 18th, 2023, please visit Thom's website for more details, https://thomknoles.com/india-retreat/ or follow the link in the show notes.

[00:00:45] Mother Ganga

[00:03:17] The Goddess Whom Everyone Can See

[00:05:25] Taking a Dip in Ganga

[00:07:19] An Invitation from Swami Kailashanand Giri

[00:09:06] Removing Karma from the Physiology

Useful Links
[email protected] 
https://thomknoles.com/
https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoles/
https://www.facebook.com/thethomknoles
https://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoles 
https://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/

Jai Guru Deva.

We just wanted to remind you that you currently have two opportunities to spend some quality time with Thom at his upcoming retreats in Sedona, Arizona, from May 22-26, and Gerringong, Australlia from June 25-29.

These retreats are your chance to get away to rexperience deep rest, industrial-strength stress release, quality company, and higher states of consciousness.

Most importantly, you'll have close-up access to Thom at his famous lectures and Q&A sessions.

Whether you are troubled by the changes the world is experiencing right now, or simply looking to fast-track your evolution, quality time with Thom is the ideal opportunity to tap into the wisdom you need at this time.

Thom looks forward to seeing you in Sedona or Gerringong!

Find out more at thomknoles.com/retreats. That's thomknoles.com/retreats.

We’re all familiar with the saying, don’t use a sledgehammer to crack a nut, but how about using a sword to clean a finger?

Vedic literature is full of delightful fables that use analogies to deliver profound life lessons. In this episode Thom gives us some background on Upanishad, Vedic fables heard ‘while sitting at the feet of a Master’ before sharing a tale of a King and a swordsmith.

It’s a delightful reminder that our Vedic Meditation technique has a very specific and powerful purpose, and a demonstration of how to dig a little deeper than the superficial interpretation of a story.

Treat this episode as a taste test of more Upanishad tales to come in future episodes.

[00:45] Sitting at the Feet of a Master

[02:46] Sanskrit - The First Child of the Language of Nature

[04:56] Lingua Franca

[07:09] Sounds Like...

[09:26] Rishi - A Five-Senses Hyperactive Perceiver

[10:51] When a Rishi Hears the Sound of Nature

[12:47] The Stuff of Fable

[14:23] The Impact of Upanishad on the West

[16:35] Kenopanishad

[18:36] Defense of a Kingdom

[21:11] The Then-Known World

[23:08] Is it Sharp?

[24:52] A Demonstration of Trust

[26:17] A Clean Finger

[27:32] Remove the Mistake

[28:42] The Pathology of Acquisition

[30:17] Products of Stress Accumulation

[32:52] The Removal of the Mistake

[34:25] A Ridiculously Simple Way

Useful Links
[email protected] 
https://thomknoles.com/
https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoles/
https://www.facebook.com/thethomknoles
https://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoles 
https://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/

Jai Guru Deva.

We just wanted to remind you that you currently have two opportunities to spend some quality time with Thom at his upcoming retreats in Sedona, Arizona, from May 22-26, and Gerringong, Australlia from June 25-29.

These retreats are your chance to get away to rexperience deep rest, industrial-strength stress release, quality company, and higher states of consciousness.

Most importantly, you'll have close-up access to Thom at his famous lectures and Q&A sessions.

Whether you are troubled by the changes the world is experiencing right now, or simply looking to fast-track your evolution, quality time with Thom is the ideal opportunity to tap into the wisdom you need at this time.

Thom looks forward to seeing you in Sedona or Gerringong!

Find out more at thomknoles.com/retreats. That's thomknoles.com/retreats.

Regular listeners know already that the power of Vedic Meditation lies in the ability to allow transcendence. But is it the only way? And how do you know if you’ve transcended?

Prompted by a question from a listener, Thom takes a brief look at other meditation techniques and compares them to Vedic Meditation with respect to transcendence.

He also explains the clues the experience leaves to allow us to conclude that transcendence has taken place.

While meditation can have many functions, we have a choice between a technique that is specifically designed to help us transcend, or other ‘tiring ways’ which are designed for other purposes but may result in occasional transcendence.  

[00:45] Q - Is Vedic Meditation the Only Meditation Technique That Allows Transcendence?

[01:10] A - Other Meditation Techniques

[03:06] The Mind is Thinking, Thinking, Thinking

[04:24] Creating the Moment of Bliss

[06:19] Many Tiring Ways of Transcending

[08:05] Cognitive Processes

[10:28] Less Volume of Thought

[11:40] Mantra is Here

[13:12] Mantra is Not Here

[14:40] This is Transcendence

[16:20] Implicit Bliss

[18:09] I Must Have Transcended

Useful Links
[email protected] 
https://thomknoles.com/
https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoles/
https://www.facebook.com/thethomknoles
https://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoles 
https://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/