What is Practical Enlightenment Meditation and How is it Different?

Meditation is Popular Now, but Not Necessarily Effective 

Meditation is intriguing on a mass scale right now, with good reason. In a world of confusion and stress, we are all drawn to solutions that will help calm us and help us feel more centered. However, even though meditation is more popular than ever, most people are not necessarily gleaning consistent benefits or going deeper in their practice.

Instead, I often hear that people are frustrated that they “don’t do it right” or that meditation is intimidating. Many then end up shifting their attention to learning some dynamic, active breath work where they feel they are “doing” something, rather than the more challenging task of sitting with oneself. 

Breathwork can be a great tool, but it’s not the end goal. 

Today, there are so many forms of meditation being promoted, but many of them do not derive from a true lineage or source. And hence, they are bound by limitations from the beginning. 

Meditation started in India millennia ago, when ancient seers, or rishis, began to intuit the most specific, effective meditation methods and techniques to connect to Source, and began to pass them down orally and sometimes in ancient texts. It is so vitally important that our teachings come right from the root, the Source of truth.

The Real Goal of Meditation

We must also understand the real purpose of meditation in the first place! It is not just to calm down and clear your thoughts— although that is part of the benefits, and part of the pathway to go deeper into the magic of the stillness within…

The real goal of yoga and meditation is “union,” connecting to the True Self inside of you, which is Spirit individualized within. It’s about shifting your identification and focus from all the external stimuli and sensory input, and going deeper within to your True Self, the voice of your heart and intuition.

Meditation is about more deep self-connection. As you quiet your body and mind, you relax and begin to realize that you are more than you think you are. You are more than the surface, more than what you do for work, more than how you look. 

As you connect more deeply to the energy inside of you, you learn to tap into your true power and your ability to create in the world. You will increase your levels of inner peace, energy, creativity, abundance, love and vitality. 

Stemming from a True Path/Guru

I started meditating many years ago, after finding a small blue book written by the great yoga guru Paramahansa Yogananda in a small spiritual bookshop in Rishikesh, India. The energy and truth bombs pouring from his writing around topics like oneness and identifying with the True Self versus the little/false/ego self resonated with me down to my core.

Paramahansa Yogananda was the great yoga guru who brought yoga to the West. He was the one that showed the principle of oneness in practice, that the message of Jesus and Krishna, the west and the east, the core of all true religions is the same. Connecting with Spirit, Universal Source, God, Higher Power, whatever word or concept you resonate with, is the goal, and yet there are many pathways up the mountain to create that union. 

No matter what your path, or what you believe or don’t believe, meditation will support your journey into that inner core of peace, love and light. 

My Personal Journey 

At first, it was really hard for me to sit still. I had to squeeze my eyes shut, and I realized, maybe for the first real time how many thoughts were running through my head! But I kept carrying on with the Kriya Yoga techniques that Yogananda teaches through the Self-Fellowship Lessons, and things started flowing after consistent effort.

I loved this deeper form of meditation, and I encourage all that want to learn a complete system of yoga to also study Yogananda’s Kriya Yoga Lessons disseminated by the Self-Realization Fellowship.

As I journeyed along and dove deep into Vedic and Yogic teachings, particularly Yogananda’s teachings (which are the focus of my new book, You Are More Than You Think You Are) I wanted to offer a form of meditation that was inspired by Yogananda, that is accessible to the beginner, to those going deeper, as well in daily life.  

Today, after practicing meditation for over 14 years, I can say that I really and truly look forward to my meditations. 

Sure, some of my meditations are deeper than others, and sometimes the thoughts are easier than other times to turn off. But overall, the pure joy, the increasing peace across my life, the deepening sense of groundedness, inner security and validation have meant everything to me. 

I spend a lot of my “free” time meditating not out of obligation, but because I absolutely love to be in the space of connected stillness. 

What is Practical Enlightenment Meditation and Why is it Different? 

Practical Enlightenment Meditation is an accessible meditation method I’ve developed after many years of meditation practice and teaching yoga. It is inspired by the teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda, who teaches the comprehensive yoga system called Kriya Yoga, as I mentioned above.

Practical Enlightenment Meditation intends to help you create a deeper connection with your True Self, the unique essence of you beyond your appearance, and what you do in the world. 

As Paramahansa Yogananda and other great yoga gurus have taught, connecting with your True Self reorients your life. And the best way to connect to the True Self is through meditation, which helps you hear and discern your inner voice that knows what you need at any given time and will guide you forward with clarity and strength. 

Practical Enlightenment Meditation is an effective way to relax your body, center and calm yourself, nourish your mental health, and go deeper into the focus and intention of each meditation, such as creating more confidence. With this meditation process, you will feel present and more aware, and over time, you can start reprogramming your beliefs and expanding your life in all directions. 

Practical Enlightenment Meditation involves 3 parts:

1. Some light physical movement while seated. This helps to settle your body by relaxing any tension, allowing more energy to flow through your body and mind, so you can continue to go deeper within.
2. Breathwork. The type of breathwork we employ is not agitating or building up activity, rajas, rather, it is intended to help guide you deeper into stillness, Source within.
3.  “I AM” mantras. The “I AM” form of mantra is a way of speaking down to your subconscious mind, to help you reconnect to the power of your True Self and blast through limited beliefs and ego-based identifications, to support you in creating powerful and sustainable change in your life.

Why Is it Different?

All of the components of Practical Enlightenment Meditation are based on ancient teachings and inspired by a true yoga guru (Paramahansa Yogananda).

It is simple and accessible, with the guided meditations lasting ten minutes or less, though you can sit in stillness for as long as you like.

The 3 components are meant to work synergistically to help align your body, mind and Spirit into deep alignment and self-connection with your True Self. You do this not through excitation, but in this method by increasing stillness and increasingly centering. yourself 

There’s a whole library of Practical Enlightenment Meditations we offer here for you to get started!

A Few Starting Tips

Treat your meditation as a vital part of your morning practice. Just like you might have a routine of drinking your Glowing Green Smoothie® every morning, commit to meditating in the morning as close to possible upon waking. 

I recommend picking a relatively quiet environment and, whenever possible, practicing your meditation on an empty stomach. 

Don’t forget to turn your phone to airplane mode before starting as well. (I usually just meditate in my bed in the early morning before my kids wake up!)

Choose any one of these Practical Enlightenment Meditations that calls to you, feeling free to repeat the same meditation for a while, or try a different one as you feel called. 

Let me know how else I can support you!

It is my tremendous honor to be on this journey with you.

With much love and gratitude,