The Elegant Universe

“1000 Days: Practice every day for 1000 days straight. This will allow you to master the new habit of consciousness that the kriya or mantra has promised. No matter what the challenge, you can call on this new habit to serve you.” 1,000 Days of Sat Kriya Almost 33 months ago, I made a commitment to myself: I would complete a 1,000-day spiritual practice to not only test my resolve, but also to see how dedicating myself to an unwavering daily practice could transform my life.  Today, Saturday, May 14, 2022, around 6:30 a.m., I lowered my arms after completing my […]

Atman is a Sanskrit word, defined in simple terms as an individual’s inner self, spirit or soul. The concept of Atman as the true self is considered to be the first principle of Hindu philosophy, particularly according to the Vedanta tradition.  Dualistic schools such as Dvaita Vedanta believe that Atman is distinct from Brahman (universal principle), whereas non-dualistic schools such as Advaita Vedanta teach that Atman and Brahman are one and the same, contained within one another. In such traditions, liberation from suffering can only be attained when an individual realizes that Atman and Brahman are identical. The Maharshi “Who am I?” the Maharshi pressed me to

When I seriously considered meditating roughly five years ago, I really had no idea how to begin a practice.  I had heard about the importance of meditation but for me it just didn’t seem practical.  I tried meditating when I was 25 years old and my idea at the time was that meditation meant going into a dark space and quieting the mind.  I literally got into a dark closet, sat down, and tried to quiet my mind—it didn’t work.  My mind only became more active and disturbed and it wasn’t long before I got up from the closet and

My big brother, Michael Ahearn, died at age 56.  My nieces, Shelby and Nicki, asked me if I would write his obituary.  This is the second time I have been asked to write the obituary of one of my siblings at the much too early age of 56.  My oldest sister, Lori, died at age 56 as well.  It wasn’t easy writing her obituary, but we weren’t as close as my brother and I.  Scribing the final footnote of my brother’s life is the single hardest thing I have ever had to write. No matter how many times I have