In a world teeming with challenges and injustices, many of us feel a deep-seated urge to take action, to right the wrongs and restore balance. This instinct to contribute and make a difference is noble, but through my journey as a spiritual teacher, I've discovered a profound truth: lasting change begins from within.

Our inclination to address external problems is a reflection of our compassion. However, focusing solely on external solutions without nurturing our inner selves can lead us to overlook a crucial aspect of transformation. It's not just about what we can fix in the world; it's also about how we grow and evolve as individuals.

Embarking on a journey of self-discovery and alignment with our true spirit and purpose brings a completeness to our being. This wholeness doesn't just benefit us; it radiates outward, positively impacting our families, communities, and the world at large. It's the ripple effect of personal transformation.

Consider the advice given during flight...

Adi Shankaracharya, an 8th-century Indian philosopher and theologian, composed a poem called the Nirvana Shatakam. Born in Kerala, India, Shankaracharya is a pivotal figure in Advaita Vedanta, a non-dualistic school of Hindu philosophy. His life's mission was to re-establish the ancient teachings of Vedanta and advocate for the unity of the self (Atman) with the ultimate reality (Brahman).

When I first heard a rendition of this song and understood the meaning, it brought joy to my heart and mind. Since the day I first heard it I have been singing it and wanting to share it with you. In the video on this page, is the first verse, which sets the stage for the very essence of it's meaning - that I am Consciousness!

The Nirvana Shatakam begins with the declaration "I am not the body, I am not the mind," a message of self-realization and transcendence of the ego. 

1. I Am Not the Body: Negate identification with the physical body. The body is a temporary...

Far too often words have been minced and the truth has been lost. So, hey there you! I am talking to you! So listen!

Are you happy? What are you doing with your life? Are you being true to yourself? Yes, I am just coming straight out and asking you this point blank. What do you want? Who are you? What is your life for?

Are you waiting for the right moment, the opportune time, the stars to align? Is your life passing you by? Does every birthday go by leaving you a year behind on you having achieved what you know you could have achieved by now? What are you doing with your life? Are you living your life authentically? Are you speaking your truth? Are you?

Recently I lost someone I knew very well. He ended his life, what seemed like, quite suddenly. Like too many others before him, he was gone, and so was his potential. What seemed sudden to me wasn't so sudden for him. He had been suffering silently, bottling up his true pain, depression and sadness for decades.

His loss made me...

The Crown Chakra reaches the heights of spirituality. It connects us with our indelible and permanent divinity, and is the source of healing energy in the human energy system. The chakras act as a ladder to love, spirituality, and healing, from the base energy of the Root Chakra, which anchors us in life, to the more refined spiritual energy of the Crown Chakra. Like all other energy centers in the human energy system, the Crown Chakra exists as a vestigial core of potential until it is activated.

The Crown Chakra opens when we have attained psychological maturity and spiritual development. The opening of the Crown Chakra coincides with a time in our lives when we may have to face several difficult personal choices and external life challenges. These ultimately bring us spiritual insights and a greater sense of what we are capable of, and what our higher purpose might be. For many, such realizations are often seen as a form of "midlife" crisis – enlightenment often leads us to...

Richa sits down with Dr. Laura Hills, author and president of The Blue Pencil Institute, to discuss Hills' 4 Pillars of Professional Communication. 

 Dr. Hills is a highly accomplished educator, having worked in the field to one extent or another for 30 years. She says, "At the core of everything, knowing how to communicate well and build successful relationships is the key to everything."

Not only does Dr. Hills discuss the 4 fundamental pillars of communication, she also explains the history behind the name of her company, "Blue Pencil Insititute."

This interview is not only fun and entertaining, it's highly informative as Dr. Hills gives viewers a little communication exercise to work through.

If you are searching for ways to improve the lines of communication within your personal or professional life, you don't want to miss Richa's interview with Dr. Laura Hills.

Watch on YouTube & Subscribe to Richa's Channel

There is ample stress all over the place in our life; stress is always available, but never imposed on us. We choose stress. The pause on the other hand is also an option. In the pause, we give our minds a rest so it can pivot and choose one experience over another. How will you choose?

The last blog post I wrote was called Beauty of Broken. I have been exploring the theme of 'integration' a lot this year. To me, integrating is assimilating the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual aspects of the self.

Last week, I had the pleasure of being interviewed by my dear friend Ameé Quiriconi for her podcast, One Broken Mom. The podcast is available on all podcast platforms and a video format of the interview is available on YouTube as well.

Could you imagine taking something that is broken, and instead of discarding it, creating something totally new and even more valuable with it?

Kintsugi is the Japanese art of repairing what is broken. A ceramic bowl broken into many pieces is artistically put back together with each crack and vein of the joints filled in with lacquer and then topped off with powdered gold dust. Also called “the art of joinery” and “golden joinery”, this process creates a whole new artifact, significantly greater in value than the sum of its broken parts. 

Think about this for a moment.

According to the philosophy of Kintsugi, it is in the repair of that which is broken that true and lasting beauty lies. The key is not denying the broken, but rather embracing the broken parts, and even celebrating them, sharing them and putting them on display for others to cherish. 

When I see this from the perspective of personal transformation, I think of relationships that have...

God, grant us the power to use the voices we have been given

Forgive us our trespasses

Om Namah Shivaya

Destroy to recreate our world

Allah-u-Akbar

Praise be to Allah

God is great

Dear lord, give me the courage

To stand with, and for my brothers and sisters

Jai Ma Durga, Goddess Kali

Ride the tiger and roar

Give me the wisdom to take action

It matters not where you were the day this chapter began

It matters what you did when the time came 

No more memory mutations

Dressing up history into what lets us sleep at night

Be uncomfortable get busy

It’s time to clean up the messes of mass hurt and hatred

No more you first after me

No more gag order, silence and strangling

Mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers wailing

Primal is my rage

Primal is the stage

We find ourselves in

This time and age

Primal is my fear

Primal is my love

For you, he/him,

They/them, she and her

Enough of the white noises

Of the white voices of supremacy

The oppression and...

Your inner divine self innately knows the gifts and talents that you possess but you have not connected with that part of yourself in a while or just need to get reconnected. In this meditation, you will, through your breath, intention and inner power, clear the blocks that obstruct your access to your diamond within. Richa will guide you back to the diamond within that is your true, most aware and truthful self.