487. Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian

Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian is a meditation teacher, an award-winning poet, writer, and the spiritual director of the Center for Spiritual Enlightenment—a Kriya Yoga Meditation Center with headquarters in San Jose, California. She has taught Kriya Yoga nationally and internationally for more than three decades and has received many service awards, including the Mahatma Gandhi Award for the Promotion of Religious Pluralism. Ordained to teach in 1982 by Roy Eugene Davis, a direct disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda, her message is “engaged enlightenment” – an invitation to live an awakened, creatively inspired, and fulfilled life, now. Along with her service as a meditation teacher and esteemed Yogacharya, Ellen Grace O’Brian is the Founder of Carry the Vision, a community nonviolence education project bringing meditation instruction to staff and children in schools, the prison population, and other segments of society. She is the founder and President of Meru Institute, providing healthy lifestyle education and leadership training in yoga studies, Ayurveda, and community service. She is host of The Yoga Hour, a weekly podcast with listeners in over 130 countries. Her latest book, The Jewel of Abundance: Finding Prosperity through the Ancient Wisdom of Yoga, was recently published by New World Library. Other books: The Moon Reminded Me A Single Blade of Grass: Finding the Sacred in Everyday Life One Heart Opening Sanctuary of Belonging Living for the Sake of the Soul Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Summary and transcript of this interview Interview recorded January 21, 2019. YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction and Overview of the Guest 00:03:50 - The Connection Between Material Existence and Spiritual Life 00:07:32 - Finding a Happy Medium and Being Awake in the World 00:11:24 - Living in an Ashram vs. Awakening in the World 00:15:11 - Discovering Your Unique Path 00:19:12 - Discovering a Subtle Dharma 00:23:13 - The Importance of Homo Consciousness 00:26:53 - Exploring the Goal of Artha 00:31:07 - Ethics in Spiritual Communities 00:34:42 - Ahimsa and the Journey of Non-Stealing 00:38:52 - Changing Our Mind for Abundance 00:42:44 - The Power of Speech and Thought 00:46:44 - Divine Grace and the Mechanics of Life 00:50:48 - Receptivity to Opportunities 00:55:44 - The Beauty of Life and the Nature of Reality 00:59:58 - The Importance of Enjoyment in Living a Spiritually Conscious Life 01:04:06 - Finding Happiness and Bliss 01:08:00 - Unhooking from External Sources of Happiness 01:11:27 - Living Beyond Our Means and Stealing 01:15:21 - Awakening to Higher Consciousness 01:19:34 - Stages of Life and Dharma 01:23:10 - Serving without Attachment 01:27:29 - Finding Joy in the Present Moment 01:31:42 - Being an Ocean and the Middle Way 01:36:00 - The Evolutionary Crucible of Close Relationships 01:40:17 - Awakening and Self-Reflection 01:44:43 - The Mechanics of Yoga 01:48:23 - The Body and Karma 01:52:21 - Reincarnation and the Mind 01:56:18 - The Power of Faith and Belief in the Universe 02:00:29 - Keeping Your Attention on Interview Preparation