Holistic Yoga & Spiritual Guidance

Living in the Kingdom of God

June 27, 2026 Jivani Lisa

I feel deeply captivated by the similarities between Advaita Vedanta (in the Hindu tradition) and mystical Christianity – basically the teachings of non-dualism in these two great religious traditions (which also exist in other religions and spiritualities). For example, Yoga means union with Divinity. The practices and ultimate goal of both Yoga and Christianity is union with God.

This morning as I was praying the Office of Readings in the Roman Catholic Liturgy of the Hours for today, I encountered a beautiful reading from a homily by St. Gregory of Nyssa (c. 335 – 394). Here is an excerpt:

“.. . [F]rom the Lord’s saying: Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God, we are to learn that blessedness does not lie in knowing something about God, but rather in possessing God within oneself.

“I do not think these words mean that God will be seen face to face by the man who purifies the eye of his soul. Their sublime import is brought out more clearly perhaps in that other saying of the Lord’s: The kingdom of God is within you. This teaches us that the man who cleanses his heart of every created thing and every evil desire will see the image of the divine nature in the beauty of his own soul. I believe the lesson summed up by the Word in that short sentence was this: You have within you a desire to behold the supreme good. Now when you are told that the majesty of God is exalted above the heavens, that his glory is inexpressible, his beauty indescribable, and his nature transcendent, do not despair because you cannot behold the object of your desire. If by a diligent life of virtue you wash away the film of dirt that covers your heart, then the divine beauty will shine forth in you.

“Take a piece of iron as an illustration. Although it might have been black before, once the rust has been scraped off with a whetstone, it will begin to shine brilliantly and to reflect the rays of the sun. So it is with the interior man, which is what the Lord means by ‘the heart.’ Once a man removes from his soul the coating of filth that has formed on it through his sinful neglect, he will regain his likeness to his Archetype, and be good. For what resembles the supreme Good is itself good. If he then looks into himself, he will see the vision he has longed for. This is the blessedness of the pure in heart: in seeing their own purity they see the divine Archetype mirrored in themselves.

“Those who look at the sun in a mirror, even if they do not look directly at the sky, see its radiance in the reflection just as truly as do those who look directly at the sun’s orb. It is the same, says the Lord, with you. Even though you are unable to contemplate and see the inaccessible light, you will find what you seek within yourself, provided you return to the beauty and grace of that image which was originally placed in you. For God is purity; . . . . Once purified, you see things that others cannot see. When the mists of sin no longer cloud the eye of your soul, you see that blessed vision clearly in the peace and purity of your own heart. That vision is nothing else than the holiness, the purity, the simplicity and all the other glorious reflections of God’s nature, through which God himself is seen.”

Christians sometimes argue whether the ultimate goal of union with God is attained through human effort or through the grace of God. The answer, as Advaita Vedanta also agrees, is BOTH. Union doesn’t happen by magic. Our various spiritual practices and disciplines are necessary to predispose us to the work of God’s grace within us. May we all attain the goal of life in this world, and share our peace and joy with the world!

Spirituality

What’s the Point?

May 9, 2026 Jivani Lisa

Looking through old journals today, I came across this entry from May 17, 2011:

There is no point to life other than to achieve union with God — which requires many lifetimes to free ourselves from the delusions of this world. We don’t remember our past lives because, for the most part, we make the same mistakes over and over again in each life just as we tend to repeat mistakes in this life. The average person would become very discouraged if he/she knew about this.

Everything in this world, including organized religion, is a delusion. Some delusions, such as our work or our family relationships can actually move us closer to union with God if we can participate in them without attachment. Highly advanced (spiritually) souls are able to see all of this (including their past lives) without becoming discouraged, and without falling into sadness, depression, or despair.

I received this profound insight (as stated above) when I awakened this morning [5/17/11]. Perhaps I was in a superconscious state very briefly when transitioning from sleep to the waking state. For a moment, I understood everything about this life, everything about karma, rebirth, delusion, and the goal of union with God. I understood it all without words, so it’s hard to explain it in words. I felt very calm and peaceful in seeing this. There was no sense of fear or confusion. It was just a deep knowing of reality as it is.

I believe our souls retain this kind of knowledge and carry it from lifetime to lifetime even though our conscious minds may not remember. This is what allows the soul to continue making progress toward union with God.

It amazes me how fine the line is between this profound, peaceful “knowing” of reality and a severe existential crisis. Perhaps people who are prone to severe depression and existential crises are actually blessed because they are so close to being able to encounter true reality.

Spirituality

Christ Consciousness

March 22, 2026 Jivani Lisa

I love Richard Rohr’s explanation of the Universal Christ. “No one comes to the Father except through Christ” (not the mere person of Jesus). The Christ is the universal unitive consciousness that is available to everyone. Some people have realized this universal consciousness, but most people have not. Many people who have realized it do not identify as Christians. And they are saved.

Photo by Atlantic Ambience on Pexels.com

Spirituality

Seeing into the Heart

March 15, 2026 Jivani Lisa

This passage is referring to the anointing of David as King of Israel. David’s eldest brother, Eliab, is NOT the chosen one. We are reminded not to be persuaded by external appearances or preconceived notions – because God is the One who sees into the heart of the one who is placed in charge of others. This reminds me of a certain false “king” in our own time….

“As Jesse and his sons came to the sacrifice, Samuel looked at Eliab and thought, ‘Surely the Lord’s anointed is here before him.’ But the Lord said to Samuel: ‘Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature, because I have rejected him. Not as man sees does God see, because man sees the appearance but the Lord looks into the heart.’”

(1 Samuel 16:6-7)

Spirituality

A Good Caretaker

February 1, 2026 Jivani Lisa

Today, I’m thinking about what it means to be a good caretaker – a person who takes care of….

What?

Usually we think of material objects. Yes, indeed.

My husband and I were discussing the way we care for our humble house. As a child, I spent seven years living in a mobile home with my parents and older brother. My mother always kept the house immaculate, and taught me to do the same. I learned the important lesson of being a good caretaker of whatever I “own” no matter how small or simple it may seem to be. I put the word “own” in quotation marks because I don’t believe we actually own anything. Whatever we have in our lives is pure gift.

Our culture, of course, believes in private ownership of everything, but the reality is that we have been given things for a short amount of time (days, months, maybe years) – and given the opportunity to care for them to the very best of our ability. The monetary value of these items doesn’t matter in the least.

So, my practice is to be a good caretaker of my house, my car, my clothing. I’m sure this caretaking duty also applies to my place of employment, my family members, my pets, my own body/mind.

My body is my vehicle for moving through life in this world, so I aim to give it healthy food, rest, and exercise.

My mind is a gift which I always want to nurture with wholesome entertainment, study, and meditation.

The term “caretaker” even suggests a kind of emotional detachment. Basically, I “take care” of everything because it’s the proper thing to do. Not because I expect a reward or because I’m entitled to something or because I fear losing it.

From a spiritual perspective, I explain that I do everything as a service to God. Since God has given me everything I have in my life, I’m happy to be a good caretaker out of gratitude.

What does this caretaker topic bring up for you?