Integritus Prime

Yesterday I presented at the Elevating Consciousness through Meditation for Global Harmony conference at the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore. My talk was part of a panel on Elevating Human Consciousness – Paradigms for Social Transformation & World Peace. I spoke about my experience of heartfulness meditation early this year at Kanha Shanti Vanam – Heartfulness Headquarters in Hyderabad. My talk is based on a personal reflection paper I wrote about my time at the ashram.

My lens on life is behavior change, and I was curious to see what types of actions emanate from people who practice heartfulness meditation.

The conference was a wonderful mecca of heart-driven professionals straddling management, science, policy, and more. I thought I’d share excerpts from the first part of my talk with you:

“…I’m standing here before you in traditional Fijian attire – a sulu chamba. I’m a Fijian and an American.

I became a global citizen the day I started studying climate change and human behavior. A ton of carbon is the same in Bangalore as it is in Belgium…carbon does not discriminate…the accelerating effects of climate change remind us we are inevitably connected…

Global harmony is not desirable. It is essential…if we are to co-create a world that appreciates all the diversity of life and preserves that diversity. 

I contend that global harmony begins in the human heart. Today I will share just a few stories about how global harmony manifests in an ashram that is the headquarters of heartfulness: Kanha Shanti Vanam. 

I had the privilege of visiting Kanha for the first time this past January. I dropped everything and went there to meditate because in my first experience of heartfulness meditation I felt something shift and clear in my heart. I’d been meditating for over twelve years but this was different.

I learned that heartfulness meditation includes pranahuti which is yogic transmission and which cleans the heart of impressions or samskaras.

I learned that our practice can keep us clean and that with steady practice we start to glow with love which is our true nature. 

My goal is to become love. It’s a moving target and we must practice daily to achieve this dynamic balance.

So, what does global harmony look like in local practice? It’s to do with our daily interactions with ourselves and with those we encounter.

If that sounds simple it’s because it is but it’s also very complex.

To interact in harmony with others we must first be in alignment with ourselves.

To find harmony inside we must remove trauma and samskaras but the real practice is to be in harmony as we remove these, knowing we are all works in progress and that we can become love in an imperfect world and in acceptance of our flaws. 

To flow in love from moment to moment is global harmony. As heartfulness global guide Daaji says, our thoughts create our destiny, so too our heart’s thoughts manifest our capacity for harmony.

When we allow the heart to lead, we become supple, soft, and loving.  This is the energy I encountered at the ashram…”

If you’d like to learn about the stories I told, including kindness, reciprocity, collective harmony, healing, and authenticity, let me know. These and many other qualities provide dimension to the behaviors that emanate from heartfulness.