An Interview with Don Miguel Ruiz
In this exclusive interview, Don Miguel Ruiz, author of several best selling books, including The Four Agreements, shares his personal story of spiritual growth and discusses key tenets of his own spiritual philosophy. A real Toltec shaman, his insights about Life are valuable and inspirational; he explains that we all are inherently perfect, yet we lose sight of our perfection through our interaction with the outside world. The Four Agreements are simple, powerful tools for bringing us back into harmony with our innate perfection, thus helping us to regain a greater degree of joy and self confidence.

Horses and the Mystical Path
Drs. Adele and Deborah McCormick reveal to us the remarkable power of horses to help human beings align themselves spiritually with their higher nature. The Celtic mystics were well aware of the potency of entering into communion with a horse and elevating that relationship to a true art form. Deborah and Adele live in that communion as a way of life, and through this, they have found a path to their true Selves. They have witnessed first-hand this transformative power, not only in their own lives, but also in the lives of others.

Polka Dots and Sunshine Teardrops
This marvelous Reader's Story will open your heart, but have a tissue handy -- you'll need to dry your eyes! The writer visits Disneyland with his family, feeling a bit sorry for himself due to personal disappointments, but soon discovers that the way to rise above self pity is to help another who may be less fortunate than oneself.

Transforming Pain into Power
Dr. Doris Helge shows us how to take "negatives" and transform them into circumstances that serve rather than frighten or hinder us. As she puts it, "if an uncomfortable situation continues to present itself, it's offering you a splendid opportunity to gain more self-love." Dr. Helge brilliantly explores the power within each of us to "alchemize" our own discomfort, transforming it into increased strength and peace of mind.

Facing The Winds of Change
Hans Wilhelm, painter and author of several best-selling children's books, explores the beauty of embracing change. As John A. Shedd writes, "A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for." Although our ego tries hard to maintain a sense of certainty in the world around us, we grow enormously by accepting change and flowing with it, finding our certainty within ourselves rather than in outer circumstances. Hans inspires us to fully accept change, to "revel in it," and to find new freedom by "letting go of the known."

The Love Response
Dr. Eva Selhub discovered that the key factor in stopping and reversing diesease, maintaining health, and improving rather than deteriorating with age is the giving and receiving of love and affection. Her healing method, called the Love Response, involves a simple set of practices for changing our thoughts and feelings from dread and pain to joy and love in a matter of moments. With it, she has healed people with various physical and emotional ailments, from depression, anxiety, and back pain to heart conditions and autoimmune diseases.

He Leads Me Toward Doing the Right Thing
Dr. Caliandro takes a close look at the twenty-third Psalm — his favorite — with special emphasis on the line "He leads me in paths of righteousness." Arthur says that this one line "confronts me with something I must do. It challenges me with major responsiblility — to be honest, fair, courageous in taking stands against evil... This is the challenge of life: to know what the right path is, to be on the right path and to do the right thing no matter what." He also discusses his firm belief that each of us has something special to do with our life, however big or small, and that by being faithful to that special purpose we receive our full measure of good, direct from our Source.

The Soul's Immortality
Paramahansa Yogananda, widely recognized as one of India's great saints, inspires us with words of wisdom, telling us that "The immortal Self remains untouched when its body-cloak is destroyed." He deeply reminds us of the eternal nature of our soul, thus imbuing us with strength and courage to face life's various challenges.

Why Are They Still Here?
Author Delia Sellers relates her fascinating, true stories with "ghosts," which she says are simply souls who have passed on from this world yet continue to linger here for reasons unknown to us. Delia found that she could talk to these beings just as she would talk to another living person, and that there was absolutely nothing to be afraid of. Her anecdotes are thoroughly fascinating, and give fresh insights into the continuity of life on other planes of existence.

Using Scientific Prayer to Improve Your Life
Dr. TISH, a practitioner of scientific healing affirmations, explains how to do these powerful "treatments" for ourselves or others. She teaches the step-by-step techniques for changing our lives by changing our thoughts and feelings in a very conscious, deliberate manner. Drawing upon her decades of experience, she offers valuable tips for getting the most from our affirmations, and also provides us with an inspiring sample treatment.

Tapping Into The Power of Yoga Asana
Our yoga teacher, Durga Ahlund, teaches a group of yoga postures that are designed to reduce or eliminate emotional discord, anxiety, and mild depression. She explains the importance of breath awareness, the power of silence, and the benefits of maintaining good posture. Durga emphasizes not only the physical postures, but also explores the consciousness behind them.

Conscious Parenting
Hugo Hanson shares with us many of the valuable lessons he learned as a father of four children. He discusses the importance of communicating effectively with our children, especially by really listening to them and respecting them as unique spiritual beings. He also encourages parents to support their children's following of their own bliss, and emphasizes the importance of reasonable rules which express a balance between freedom and responsibility. Read excerpt

The Wisdom of Jesus and the Yoga Siddhas
The Yoga Siddhas were spiritual teachers from India who truly achieved mastery over mind and body. Author Marshall Govindan explores the common ground between the key teachings of Jesus and those of the Siddhas. When seen with the eye of wisdom, it becomes clear that Jesus and the Siddhas had much in common; in fact, the similarities far outweigh the differences!

Embracing Success
In this exclusive interview, Chicken Soup For the Soul's Jack Canfield shares many valuable insights into the process of manifesting the kind of life you want as an individual. He emphasizes the importance of knowing what you want, specifying it, and then holding your thoughts and attention on exactly what it would look and feel like to have the object of your heart's desire. Jack says "People have got to get clear. If they don't sit down and actually clarify exactly what they want in their lives, they won't get there."

Inspired History
This issue's featured historical personality is Jacob Boehme, who lived from 1575 to 1624. Boehme was an uneducated shoemaker who achieved staggering heights of spiritual illumination through his own communion with God. His life vividly demonstrates that simplicity and love of God are all that are required to bring about a life filled with revelations and deep spirituality.


Persistence
Self-help icon Napoleon Hill details the great importance of never giving up. Nothing great is ever achieved without perseverance, he says. He writes "In every calling, every business, and every profession there are times when the going is hard, and unpleasant circumstances have to be met and mastered. The unsuccessful person deals with these problems by running away from them, (while)....the successful person stands his ground and turns on more willpower."

A True Sage in Modern Times
Teacher/author A. Ramana, himself a disciple of Ramana Maharshi, writes about The Maharshi's technique of "self inquiry," which he recommended as the most direct route to Self realization. The technique is extremely simple, requiring the student to constantly look past the world of form to the inner "I," in order to ultimately abide in the inner Self, the one true presence within us that allows us to say and to feel "I am."