Increasing performance and working to counter the rigorous manoeuvres and specific strains of surfing, Miles Masterson speaks to the “big wavers” about how yoga is transforming the sport

Natural Yoga
Though surfers sometimes call surfing “natural yoga”, this is of course not an accurate appraisal of the sport. While it is true that surfing does involve immersion in the outdoors and is a vigorous pursuit that benefits overall fitness, the physical dynamics of surfing are also incredibly taxing on the human body. Even the act of paddling a surfboard (which surfers do far more than riding waves) is an unnatural face-down prone position that wreaks havoc on the shoulders and neck.

Thanks to the rigours of standing sideways on the board and twisting and contorting one’s torso and limbs into and out of the different manoeuvres – not to mention body-wrenching wipe outs – prolonged periods of surfing often result in painful injuries and can have a detrimental effect on posture and alignment. Without a basic stretching regimen to counter the sport’s specific strains, many long-term surfers suffer from a plethora of ailments, particularly those of the spine, rotator cuff, elbows, hips, knees and ankles.

Fortunately, yoga has long been recognised as a great way to thwart these negative side effects and increase surfing performance. Of late, yoga has become so popular in surf culture that scores of surf resorts worldwide now offer “yoga retreats” to cater for the sheer number of surfers bringing the practice into the core of their lives.

The Rise of Yoga and Surf
Tuned into Eastern philosophy, the athletic minded hippie surfing movement of the late 60s and early 70s originally turned to yoga as a means to prepare for the challenges of surfing and, along with living in communes, eating organic and having an appreciation of nature, yoga became as de rigueur for these surfers as long blond hair. Famous surfers, such as 1966 world champion Australian Nat Young and 70s Hawaiian Zen master Gerry Lopez were early adopters. Later, American multiple world champions Tom Curren and Kelly Slater, among others, all brought yoga into their lives. To this day, these surfers all remain among the most fit, supple and youthful adherents of the sport in their age groups.

In the early 1990s “Yoga for Surfers” gained real momentum with the advent of a specialised course and the release of a DVD of the same name by Californian surfing yogi Peggy Hall. Career surfers such as perennial performer American Taylor Knox (who, at 38, is currently the oldest but still one of the fittest full time professionals) and lady’s superstar, the Hawaii-based Rochelle Ballard, publicly endorsed Hall’s aesthetic. Subsequently, yoga became one of the most popular forms of cross-training among surfing professionals and average surfers alike. “You are stimulating your entire system… increasing flexibility, range of motion, and strength,” says Ballard, who recently released her own DVD, Surf
Into Yoga, of the benefits of yoga for surfers. “You can also increase your breath and hold for bigger surf,” she adds.

Big Waves, Big Lungs
Enter big wave surfer Greg Long, who was voted one of the top 50 fittest Americans by a men’s magazine in 2008. “Yoga is a huge part of my physical regimen from a flexibility standpoint,” says Long. Suppleness notwithstanding, Long also lauds the mental benefits of yoga, something big wave surfers tend to focus on to help them deal with hold downs and violent thrashings underwater. He also credits the ability to tune into nature to enhance his immersion in the moment to yoga and, as he puts it, “to be able to go into that total state of peace and relaxation.”

As one of the most respected young big wave surfers in the world, and someone who has influenced others in big wave riding circles to take up yoga, Long, 27, practises it wherever he is. On the road for up to 10 months a year, he will go solo or attend Hatha or Ashtanga classes. However when he is home in California, Greg does Bikram yoga to prepare him for extreme surfing conditions, be they 70 foot plus waves or marathon, 10-hour surfs. “When the temperatures get up high it can be very intense, so flexibility-wise it is incredible,” says Long of Bikram. “It’s almost like simulating a wipe-out. You know you are putting that kind of physical strain on your body, but at the same time you have to keep a really focused head.”

Like Long, recreational surfer and eight times free dive record holder, Hanli Prinsloo, trains hard to remain judicious in extreme conditions. South African Hanli, 30, tells how for free divers, yoga is an absolute necessity in their training regime, particularly the mental and breathing aspects. For Hanli, who has swum straight down on one breath to a depth of 60 metres, they are one and the same. A keen surfer, she recently began advising many of Cape Town’s top big wave surfers on her Apnea (suspension of external breathing) dive training techniques which, among other things, incorporate yoga poses and philosophies. She explains how, as a defence mechanism, the body tends to resist being deprived of oxygen, especially when immersed in water, and how the diaphragm will naturally spasm as a result. This often triggers the first feeling of panic in the brain that can prove detrimental to both free divers and surfers alike.

By understanding that this is merely the beginning of what is called the Mammalian Dive Response (MDR ) and working through it, divers can learn to control their minds and remain calm underwater for up to five minutes. To this end, Hanli advocates repeated Sun Salutations, yoga lung stretches and Kundalini and Hatha breathing exercises to boost lung capacity. “I blend styles of yoga to find optimum positions and breathing techniques,” she says. “This gives surfers the self confidence to take on whatever the ocean throws at them and remain calm under pressure.”

Yoga for Everyday Surfers
For more average surfers though, what type of yoga is best for them is largely based on personal requirements. “It really depends on the individual and what they are looking for,” says Rochelle Ballard. “I like to mix it up a bit with Chi Gong and hip restorative Vinyasa Flows.” Like Hanli, Rochelle advises doing Sun Salutations to cover most of these areas for focus and flexibility too. “I find if I am going into a surf session it’s best to warm up and do sequences that stimulate my body,” she says. Ballard recommends the Downward Dog for overall flexibility, Camel Pose to open the shoulders and hips as well Bridge and Warrior Poses.

Overall, it seems Hatha yoga is the most popular with surfers. “Maybe because of my age, I prefer the Hatha yoga, as it’s a little slower,” agrees 61-year-old Sandy Campbell, yogi at the Yoga Mat in Durban. A lifelong surfer, Sandy discovered yoga fifteen years ago and has never looked back. “In Hatha yoga,” he continues, “awareness is placed on alignment and adjustment in the asanas. This provides a good grounding for surfers.” Of course, all styles of yoga bring focus to the breath. Kundalini yoga, for example says Sandy, is better for younger surfers. “I find Kundalini yoga, with time, makes the body more flexible for other styles of yoga and definitely your surfing,” he says.

Whichever they adopt or combine, Sandy emphasises that all surfers need to focus on upper body strength. “Because of the paddling position, shoulders and neck muscles take strain,” he explains. “The cervical spine is arched and so the trapezius muscles need strengthening, as do the shoulders, rotator cuff and arms. All of the above need a strong core centre, i.e. abdominals and lower back/ lumbar spine. Moreover, as surfers stand sideways on their boards, the hips can also take a beating, one usually more so than the other, resulting in an imbalance and pressure on the knee and ankle joints.

“Because surfers are already connected to the ocean and all that is in it, yoga enhances this awareness. It starts when you first identify the swell in the set that you are going to ride… in every moment that you are riding the wave… and when you kick out at the end, the feeling of gratitude at being able to surf and interact with this ever-changing force of nature,” closes Sandy.

By Miles Masterson

Nicki Forman-Levitan discusses how she found her way to personal sadhana through yoga

My life is dedicated to the practice of yoga. Yoga is my life’s calling. I teach, I study, I eat, sleep and dream yoga. It’s my life’s work, my grand passion and my ostensibly “healthy obsession”. Running a home with a husband, two small children and a thriving yoga school affords me the luxurious opportunity to live this dream. Yogic immersion, albeit somewhat tethered by domestic necessity, is essentially my modus operandi, a divine karmic gift I acknowledge with gratitude.

Despite having this plethora of opportunity to practise, I still struggle to maintain a consistent sadhana (practice) that ensures “x” rounds of Surya Namaskaras per day, so many rounds of Kapalabhati and a guaranteed meditative daily Samadhi. “Take one yogic capsule a day,” as Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati of Bihar School of Yoga teaches and “call God in the morning”.

Abhyasa is the discipline that Patanjali dictates and it demands a consistent practice in order to evolve along our yogic paths. Abhyasa means fostering an attitude of persistent effort to attain and maintain a state of stable tranquility. It’s a devoted path – the fruits of which are an insight into the direct experience of the eternal core of our being. So, finding and committing to a personal sadhana is the goal of the sadhaka or practitioner.

Is this a reasonable or even viable possibility for the Western yogi or yogini, especially those of us attempting to balance jobs, family or studies with a consistent and disciplined practice? To accomplish a full asana practice daily might not always be possible, so the real question then becomes how the practice of yoga can filter from the mat into everyday life? How can one creatively develop one’s own personal sadhana?

Notwithstanding the fact that asana, pranayama and a solid dose of yoga nidra is crucial to yogic evolution, sadhana can also Finding your way to a personal sadhana be found in changed perspective, in seeing one’s reality with yogic-coloured spectacles, a so-called rosy tinted drishti or l’esprit en rose. Allowing all aspects of life, including both its tribulations and joys, to become a screen for yogic projection is paramount to this shift in awareness.

Patanjali offers some tools to aid in this shifted perspective, which he describes in the Ashtanga (eight limbed path) of which asana (posture) and pranayama (control of breath) are merely two limbs. The first limb – Yama – contains the ethics, which have to do with training your actions, speech and thoughts in relation to the external world, particularly with other people. Dedication to upholding and developing these yamas is a laudable sadhana in itself and provides a perfect buffet of potential interpretation from which to choose when developing one’s own sadhana.

The first yama is non-harming (ahimsa) in thought, deed and action. Cultivating ahimsa can be a lifetime’s sadhana. Try being ahimsic after being stuck in traffic or losing a much sought after job promotion. Try ahimsa when faced with a relentless mosquito! This is where to apply your yoga practice – to the places of challenge, not just to the glorious afterglow of Savasana. Using these spaces of discomfort and difficulty becomes a platform for personal sadhana. Not only does it make the challenge surmountable but also keeps your practice alive and pervasive.

In whichever way yama talks to your personal evolutionary needs, be it the development of integrity through the principle of honesty (satya) or striving towards remembering the higher reality (bramacharya), is a personal choice that should make sense to you, the aspirant, relative to your life’s developments and needs. Some yamas are easier to manage than others. Non-violence and not stealing (asteya) might be a breeze for one yogi but a mountain for another. When Patanjali spoke of aparigraha (non-possessiveness) he surely hadn’t been to a side-walk sale or to a rooftop market. How many candles or cute little yoga outfits can a yogini possess without forgetting that yoga needs to come out of the closet, and live its truth!

Perhaps choose one yama to develop as a sadhana or simply try integrating all wherever possible. Whatever your sadhana is of less importance than a consistent and committed awareness. This awareness inspired by dedicated practice to a chosen sadhana, allows us to begin to welcome challenge as an opportunity to set our yogic GPS in action and guide our souls along the path of light. We begin to recognise in this way that the guru (the dispeller of darkness) is none other than our own inner voice intuiting from an omniscient perspective, so that our every thought and its consequent action is a consistent sadhana.

But surely Patanjali, living as he does today in the hearts and souls of his countless yogic progeny, would encourage the idea of the all pervasive, boundless yoga practice, one beyond the mat? One where the realization of Self is evidenced in thought, word and certainly action, including those during that queue, traffic jam or marital tiff.

Finding your personal sadhana in your own way becomes the mantra du jour. Ask yourself what will be useful in the pursuit of your spiritual goals and be proactive – what yogis call kriya (action) in the realisation of these goals.

B.K.S Iyengar outlines the three-fold goal which is one and the same: “Sadhana is a discipline undertaken in the pursuit of a goal. Abhyasa is repeated practice performed with observation and reflection. Kriya, or action, also implies perfect execution with study and investigation. Therefore, sadhana, abhyasa, and kriya all mean one and the same thing. A sadhaka, or practitioner, is one who skillfully applies… mind and intelligence in practice towards a spiritual goal.”

Recently in Rishikesh, on the ghat of the Mata Ganga, following one of my first Kundalini yoga classes with the amazing Gurmukh Khalsa, the following satsang gently changed my perspective forever: “You have a heart, love. You have two hands, serve.”

All the rest is fluff. This turns out to be my sadhana – attempting a daily return to love and service. Listen to your inner guru and find yours.

By  Nicki Forman-Levitan

Before we consciously realise it, yoga becomes the driving force that galvanises us into action, so that we can start living our passions…

If you’re like me, yoga crept into your life surreptitiously. Yet the impact has been profound. With an old knee injury and my thirties creeping up, I unknowingly turned a corner and left aerobics and spinning behind. Yes, the universe and my “knee karma” guided me gently, yet firmly, away from years of body perfect pursuits, towards the yoga studio.

There I found the awareness and courage I needed to change the negative aspects of my life. Nine years later, I’m changed for the better and finally learning to live my passions – teaching yoga and writing.

Oddly perhaps, passion from the root Latin word “passio” actually means “to suffer”. We learn however that it’s only when our passions are unfulfilled and our emotions unbalanced, that we create our own dramatic and exhausting suffering. To break this cycle we first have to recognise that in this “situational suffering” we’re coming from a place of ego and acting from the perspective of fear and not trusting our essential wholeness.

The key yogic premise, Patanjali’s yoga sutra Yogas Citta-Vrtti Nirodhah, beautifully explains how a daily yoga practice enables us to notice or recognise our true, complete self. The Sanskrit translates: “When you stop identifying with your thoughts, (the fluctuations of the mind), then there is yoga.” It describes, logically and accurately, the process of unfolding awareness, which inevitably leads, (for anyone who practices yoga consistently), to self-actualisation.

Yoga asanas direct our prana (life force) upwards to the ajna (third eye) and sahasrara (crown) chakras to perfectly prepare us for meditation. This is when we learn to stop identifying with our “monkey” minds, i.e. the ego. Non-attachment to thought begins with simply being able to observe (without judgement) the mind and its constant fluctuations. Our thoughts aren’t permanent, real or necessarily based on truth either – rather, they’re subjective.

By recognising this, we open up space to become aware of the blissful, peaceful state of simply being. This state of being liberates us. The moment we let go of all our heavy expectations of ourselves, the chance of actualising our dreams and passions becomes truly possible, perhaps for the very first time. In fact, it becomes likely. Why? Think of a balancing asana such as Natarajasana or Lord of the Dance Pose. In the asana, the instant we let go of our fear of falling over and focus only on our breath, we balance! Suddenly we are a light, lithe dancer…

This holds true for all our strivings, every day. The world tells us to look outward to define ourselves – to careers, relationships and material success. When we attach to this, we feel we never do, have, or achieve enough. We focus on perfecting and correcting ourselves in all the wrong ways. Wasting energy and time, we scatter our attention, spread ourselves too thin, squash our inner voice and childhood dreams – and then berate ourselves or others when we fail. Afterwards, we review our failures again, through the mind (which takes itself rather seriously indeed). Living like this can drain us of the vitality and clarity of purpose needed to make changes towards self actualising, in a non-pressured, fulfilling and organic way. When we persevere with yoga, it becomes habit to simply notice our moods, our daily hankerings, the little voices in our head and then to laugh them off. With determined calm, we start to habitually value the profound importance of simply being, in every moment of every day.

Suddenly, our priorities rearrange themselves like we’re shuffling a deck of cards and the universe seems to roll the dice in our favour too.

Our path is never random. In the beginning, all this “noticing” may unsettle us, shake things up a bit – as the intellect and ego wrangle with the soul. However, this holds the key to fulfilment. Thankfully, yoga heightens our awareness, so we recognise the signposts along the way and are galvanised into action, to follow them.

By Mandy Walker

One atom must stick to another otherwise life would fall apart. But what is this glue that holds and keeps everything together? It’s love, says Kavi Yogiraj Mani Finger

An ancient Greek philosopher once said: “If everybody, every creature, every human being – who is the most powerful of all – hated at the same second, the world would disintegrate”. The Source, The Divine, Brahman, has given us this power of holding the universe together, called love. And this is the cosmic phenomenon that, like breath, is something given to us and yet we spend our lives never realising or contemplating its cosmic nature.

If man could only understand this concept that love holds the world together, even with a small part of our consciousness, a new world would open up, and we would begin to look at life from a different perspective. It may be strange at first, but you begin to realise that, “Ah! This is what I have to learn; this is what I have got to exercise; this is what I have got to develop!” The cosmic phenomenon of consciousness in me, an unconditional state of being – this is the state we call love.

Let us examine the way most of us consider love, the way I call “committed clinging”. We like to regard everyone around us as our children and, as such, we like to give the orders and tell them what to do and what not to do. Or, we like to regard ourselves as a helpless child and leap into somebody’s lap. This “lap” can belong to an individual, an organisation, a community, a teacher, a person – any parental concept – and so, this love relationship takes one of two patterns – either we are fed by someone or we are feeding others.

But this is a false, distorted kind of love. This is a love of clinging and not the kind of real love that holds this world together at all. The saying goes that “He that clings to anything, suffering must come”. Clinging means to get or use something for our own happiness. Love means to give – loving, we learn, is about the “other” and not the “I”. In clinging you are important; in love you make yourself an instrument of that love and a channel to higher love.

The urge to committed clinging, to belong, to be someone’s child, or them to be our own child, is easy and yet tremendously powerful – we are either jumping into somebody’s lap for protection and advice, or we are giving protection.

While these patterns of love have the potential to give us pleasure, it is merely to entertain. It may be used in as simple a case as a casual friendship, a search for excitement, a means for escape, or as complicated as marriage or, our choice of career. Either we want to control the pleasure or we want to become part of it.

There is another way to love and it involves simply being whom and what you are. The sacrifice in love is your ego. Love is surrender while clinging is aggression. Look lovingly at any object and it gives it special life. Whom or whatever is beautiful, whatever is creative, is so delicate that if you try to grab it directly you will destroy it.

We must simply be what we are in this world, in life – no acting, no motivation – just loving. Neither the lover nor the beloved be, be the loving! Be that where there is no motivation and then, if you can be what you are, situations will be as they really are, automatically. Then you can start to communicate directly, accurately, not indulging in any kind of nonsense, any kind of emotional or philosophical, logical, interpretations about love.

This way of loving allows tremendous space and room for creative development – space in which to dance, to exchange love. Then we will not be playing the game of hypocrisy, of self deception, entertainment or clinging for a purpose. We will be loving and creating a new world for others and for ourselves.

By Kavi Yogiraj Mani Finger

Thomas Sheehy separates timeless yogic knowledge from antiquated language

It may be true that yoga was born in India, but today history gives reference to countless examples of how yogic knowledge has crossed the globe. From South America to Africa and even Europe, yoga has been known to many different cultures for thousands of years.

Yoga was however preserved in India, refined by greats such as Krishnamacharya, and offered back to the world as an irrefutable science – the science of right living. It is only natural then that we look to India for guidance on this ancient practice. Yet, in the realities of modern Western society, when studying some of the connotations of these early Vedas and scriptures, they seem outdated and impractical.

We are in the enviable position of having access to information that was simply not available then. Many would argue that this evolution has not necessarily served to better us, and we would all be well advised to keep in mind the brilliance of those who walked the yogic path before us.

How then do we bridge the gap of time and culture? Is it possible to take what was taught and alter it to better serve our modern needs without losing sight of its original integrity?

As modern yogis we must learn to sort the timeless truth from antiquated language. Take the theory of the body – our outermost aspect of personality. Says Sri. K. Pattabhi Jois in his book Yoga Mala: “If the mortal body is to be sustained, things like food are essential. Thus the food we eat should be sattvic (pure), nirmala (untainted) and acquired through righteousness.”

This lesson seems increasingly astute as we bear witness to the dramatic rise of conditions that plague our societies such as obesity, diabetes and cancer. The Upanishads attest that, “ahara chuddar sattva shuddih” – the mind assumes the qualities of whatever food is consumed. This thought is shared by modern health practitioners such as renowned bowel specialist Dr. Bernard Jensen who visited over 50 countries to better understand the principles of healthy living. He concluded that the long-lived led a simple existence, ate unprocessed foods, little meat and maintained good posture.

Where the yogic lesson appears to err is in the understanding of what actually constitutes sattvic food. Traditionally, Ayurveda teaches that eating too many vegetables will, in fact, “expand disease”. It is common in India to eat proportionally high levels of wheat, milk, and sugar – foods that in the West are understood to be difficult to digest.

While the above foods may serve the average Indian constitution (associated with extended life-span, strength and health due to their easy digestibility), it is certainly not the case in the West. Wheat, dairy and sugar are the worst offenders, most tamasic.

Taking into account that the quality of these foods needs to be considered too, this traditional diet differs greatly from the poor-quality, refined and processed substances that pass as food in the West. Stone-ground whole wheat is a wonderful source of energy; refined, pre-sliced loaves of bread are not. The same is true for the milk of a cow that in India has been honoured, revered and thanked for its offering. Western-style mass produced, hormone injected, sterilized cartons of long-life are an entirely inferior thing.

Food takes on less relevance though as yoga teaches us that indeed we are “not of the body”. One major hindrance in the Western mindset is our over-identification with this temporary and finite vehicle. Yet, while we are manifest in human form there is relevance in taking care of it – as it is home to our atman (unique spark of divinity) – perhaps even with a spiritual obligation to do so. Purification then is needed and we have the texts on shaucha, to guide us on appropriate methods.

For bahir shaucha (the external body), red clay is traditionally recommended to remove sweat and dirt from the skin. It would be flippant to get hung-up on the specifics of this valuable detail. Antah shaucha (internal cleansing) is viewed as seeing every thing and every being as a friend and treating them with affection. Both of these points seem fair; it is only when they are combined that the message becomes alarming. In direct translation the two-fold shaucha are said to help bring about, “a loathing of the body, which is seen as abominable, essence-less and perishable, and a disgust is felt when touching the body of another.”

To those who view the body as perfect, a divine gift and uniquely ours to cherish, this point seems ridiculous, almost offensive and in direct contradiction to ahimsa (non-violence in thought, word or deed). However, it is the translation rather than the idea that is at fault. Language can be dissected and debated – it can be difficult and confusing to find yoga’s truth when we get caught on the words instead of the meaning. The teaching is rather to protect the body by not bringing it into contact with whatever is “adverse”.

As teachers and practitioners of yoga it is important that we see the body for what it is – our lowest energetic sheath. But low does not mean “worse” or “bad” as this message could suggest. The physical body is our rooting, our connection to the earth, our densest form of light. It should be honoured as a temple but not worshipped in itself. Thus, a definition of the words can confuse this intricate point.

As we continue to study and grow in our yogic lives, many seeming abnormalities are bound to appear. These are just two examples of many that illustrate how antiquated knowledge can either be irrelevant or need redefinition. Views on time or place of practice, techniques and sequencing are all open to dispute and our best guidance is actually often inherent within.

We are different from our forefathers, and future generations will be different again, and we know that what is true for one (even a great one) is not necessarily true for another. That which may have been the life’s work of a guru and student is now taught in large groups to people who view yoga as one of many life practices.

In his book Light On Yoga, B.K.S Iyengar lists 47 separate cautions for pranayama, but today, Bhamari (humming bee breath) can be used to quell road rage. Is this disrespectful or a logical evolution? Only your own intention can answer that question.

Yoga connects us all. Humility and respect ensure that we will remember those who stepped before us. But as humanity continues through the 21st century, we owe it to our future generations to explore further by practising as uniquely and creatively as those before us did. Taking life and all our guides with a pinch of salt and a little humour helps to discern the truths that serve us best.

By Thomas Sheehy

As a yoga teacher and practitioner, Tom sees the physical body as a work of perfection and believes that complete and perfect health is available to anyone who chooses it. Tom caters within the yoga community, helps run retreats and facilitates interactive and educational dinner parties. Email Tom at tomshomemade@gmail.com

Miracle Cards
By Marianne Williamson (HayHouse Books)

This 50-card deck is beautifully illustrated with sepia photographs that reflect the miracles inherent in our everyday lives. On subjects ranging from relationships to the future of the planet, Marianne Williamson, the acclaimed lecturer and bestselling author, offers spiritual reflections and applies universal truths to issues that confront all of us on our daily journey.

The Law of Attraction Cards
By Esther and Jerry Hicks (HayHouse Books)

The evidence of the Law of Attraction is everywhere in life and a conscious awareness of this powerful law can be activated within you as you experience these beautiful cards. Take deliberate control of awareness of your experience of this law and your life will be dramatically enhanced. Serving as a deliberate self-empowerment tool to help you live a more joyful life, according to the authors, “these cards will remind you that you do have personal control of your own life experience”.

Magical Messages From The Fairies Oracle Cards
By Doreen Virtue Ph.D. (HayHouse Books)

By the world’s leading “angel” herself, this card deck by Doreen Virtue has a message or answer for you from the beloved “nature angels” who live close to the earth. Helping with everyday concerns such as relationships, health issues, and finances, each card has a gorgeous painting of fairies and, the enclosed guidebook walks you through the steps for giving an oracle reading for yourself or others as well as outlines the extended meanings behind each card.

Ambition to Meaning
(HayHouse Books)

The shift from ego to meaning is a powerful part of the spiritual journey according to Dr Wayne W. Dyer whose compelling film captures the essence of what it means to find purpose in life. Director Michael Goorjian intertwines the stories of an overachieving businessman, a mother of two seeking her own expression in the world and a director trying to make a name for himself into an easily watchable film about how achievement and accumulation is so often contrasted with a life of meaning that’s focused on serving and giving back.

Receiving Prosperity
By Louise L. Hay

Famed metaphysical lecturer Louise L. Hay’s inspirational DVD explains how you can use the power of your thoughts to draw anything you want into your life. Learn how to put a halt to self-criticism and move beyond your limitations and attract more wealth, success, and love into your life. A master of helping people break the old, negative attitudes that restrict their lives, Louise artfully helps audiences awaken to the knowledge that your level of wealth and success reflects exactly what you believe you deserve.