shop’s very reason for existence is to facilitate
uplifting changes in consciousness.
Editor’s
Letter
Dear Friends,
“There is nothing either good or bad, but
thinking makes it so.” Poets and sages alike
have known this truth since long before
Shakespeare’s famous phrasing of it. Our experience of the world around us reflects the
consciousness within us.
We can see a simple illustration of this in our
own lives, any time we learn a new subject.
The beginning gardener suddenly starts seeing hydrangeas everywhere, in plants that
formerly—if noticed at all—would have
been relegated to the category of “bush,” or
possibly just “green.” If you take a few guitar
or piano lessons, you’ll find the instrumentation on your favorite songs start taking on
new detail and meaning. These things were
always there; the change was in you.
When it comes to one’s mood, this effect can
snowball dramatically. We’ve all had times
when nothing could cheer us up (or, conversely, when nothing could get us down).
Reason typically follows feeling, however
much we may imagine otherwise, and we
can be surprisingly adept at finding supporting evidence for whatever emotional state we
happen to be in.
Swami Kriyananda once, simply as a challenge, decided to write a blues song. As
someone who was constitutionally incapable
of “having the blues,” he ended up leaving it
as a parody, titled “The Non-Blues.” As he
puts it in the penultimate verse:
For I find that this whole world around me,
Like a mirror upon the wall,
Smiles back when I smile,
looks blue when I’m blue—
And that blue shade I don’t like at all!
So there’s the prescription if you find yourself with the blues now and then: take charge
and start smiling! If you find it difficult to
get smiling on your own (and we’ve all been
there), then pay us a visit. East West Book-
If you’re looking for outright laughter, we’ve
got a double-header of spiritual comedy,
with Swami Beyondananda and the Swami
from New Jersey performing together on
Nov 29th. For joy through music, join us
for Rickie Byars Beckwith’s birthday concert
on Oct 10th, Broceliande’s CD release concert on Dec 13th, or several other music and
sound healing events.
When it comes to seeing the world differently,
there’s nothing like giving yourself time to
be creative. Come hear from creativity coach
Eric Maisel (11/21), practice mindful writing
with Melissa Carroll (10/14), or try your hand
at wand-making with Rudy Zamarron (10/9).
Looking to expand your awareness in other
ways? Silvana Meira (10/13) explains the use
of out-of-body experiences for personal development. Learn more about what happens after
death with Roberta Grimes (10/23) and Robert Moss (11/7), or develop your own powers
of mediumship with Kay Fahlstrom (10/3).
Paramhansa Yogananda, the
great Indian avatar, and author of
the spiritual classic Autobiography
of a Yogi, brought the art and
science of Yoga to the West in the
1920s, teaching the foundational
unity of all true religions.
To tackle your mood directly from a spiritual
perspective, we’ve got an encore showing of
the popular new movie Finding Happiness
(11/15), along with a follow-up class by Asha
Praver (11/17) on bringing joyful spirituality into everyday life. Need to let go of some
stress first? David Gamow (10/16) and several others can help with that.
Do the holidays get you feeling drained?
Scout Bartlett (11/26) will show you how to
recharge your batteries and feel the joy of the
season again. Are you just wondering how
any of this could possibly work? Mary Beth
Sammons and Brenda Knight (11/25) will explain the actual neurological effects of having
a positive and grateful attitude towards life.
One way or another, we strive to help everyone find a way to grow in joy and understanding. As more of us join together on this
journey, we truly will see the world changing
along with us.
Joy to you!
Brahmachari Tandava
Co-Manager, Editor
Nooshin Zarkabir
Co-Manager, Head Buyer
Nayaswami K ɥ兹