The new Avengers film was just released this weekend and has been setting box office records in the US and across the…

I preordered the book (The Bliss Experiment) and waited a while to receive it. I almost didnt preorder and thought I'd wait in the hope that I would track down Sean himself at a book signing and get my book then but I thought I might forget and was eager to check it out as soon as possible so I went ahead with the preorder.

The book came into my life just as I needed it. Becoming a mom has changed my life's priorities and my personal meditation practice isnt what it used to…

This past weekend, I went with some friends to see the Dalai Lama speak in Long Beach.



Outside the Long Beach Convention Center was a small group of protesters railing against the Dalai Lama, claiming he is a hypocrite for…

New research sheds light on one of the most commonly repeated phrases in our culture: people don't really ever change. You can't teach an old dog new tricks. A leopard doesn't change its spots. The more things change, the more they remain the same.



We all encountered numerous examples of this. People who claim they've changed but really haven't. Or tell us it's going to be different this…

While few of us enjoy feeling stressed, you might have told yourself that it's not big deal, you can handle it. Or maybe you've convinced yourself that although it'smaking you unhappy, there's no real consequence to stress other than a little personal discomfort. You can handle it. Maybe you even think that…

The possible existence of extraterrestrial life is one of the most fascinating and controversial subjects speculated upon today. Recently published research continues to indicate that it's highly likely that…

This past weekend, we saw movie The Hunger Games, which is now setting box…

Normally, I prefer to write about just one or two recent scientific studies and their meaning and implications. Recently, however, there's been a flood of interesting studies published, too many to cover on an individual basis. Instead, here's 5 brand-new scientific research that either demonstrates the…

Whitney Houston's death is sad. Any time great talent and creativity is lost from our world, it's a loss for us all. But what's more sad is the woman and life herself. Though it was immediately speculated upon at the time of her death, we now have…

Normally, I try not to wade into partisan politics. Spirituality is above and beyond the mundane world of party affiliations. One can be a Democrat or Republican, capitalist or socialist, left-winger or right-winger and still discover bliss and spiritual truth.



Recently, however, Rush Limbaugh has ignited a firestorm of controversy over his ridiculous,…

I've been thinking about the unfolding John Friend scandal that just became public. He's a yoga and spiritual teacher who's been revealed to be a fairly different person than he and his public reputation had lead people to believe.

How does something like this happen? What's the thought or decision process that leads someone so far astray?

I think…

Like everything that grows popular, eventually a backlash begins. It now looks like we've firmly entered the era of anti-yoga hysteria. It's both amusing and sad.

The attacks and odd claims come from a variety of angles. Fundamentalist Christians, of course, have long ranged somewhere between mildly concerned to downright apoplectic over the ascendance of yoga. That's not new--or news. More interestingly, the latest hysterical misinformation comes from the mainstream media. Especially…

One of the fundamental claims--amply proven through both scientific studies and personal stories--of The Bliss Experiment is that pursuing external desires and goals such as wealth and luxury is a sure-fire recipe for unhappiness. And worse, really: spiritual disaster.



A brand-new study,…

The Artist just won the Academy Award for Best Picture. It couldn't have happened to a nicer film.



When Brook and I first saw the film, just after it first opened (one of the great things about LA is…

Most of us, particular in our society, would love to look younger. In fact, as the world is about to turn its attention to the Academy Awards this weekend--and the endless parade of youth and beauty on display--over the next few days, those of us watching are likely to become even more self-conscious than usual about our own looks and age. Of course, for many celebrities, the "secret" to youth and beauty is good lighting, great makeup (and…

This photo was taken at the Whipsdale Zoo outside of London by Marac Andrev Kolodzinski. Okay, the truth is that this otter probably wasn't really praying, he was playing with a stone and the photographer happened to catch it at the perfect moment. Still, since otters are among my favorite animals…

Yesterday, a student of mine, herself a lapsed Catholic now more of a yoga and meditation practitioner, rather indignantly asked me what I thought of Nicki Minaj's…

This past Valentine's Day, an anonymous person created a series of skywriting images above New Orleans.

The messages said things like, "Love U," U + God," and even a smiley face. It was a nice random act of…

I was originally going to post this on Valentine's Day but Brook, somewhat jokingly (but also not), convinced me to give people a break and not shatter their Valentine's Day romantic illusions, especially since most people already had plans in place. So let's call this a post-Valentine's look at love.



Romantic love is one of the most commonly pursued things in the West (notice I said, "the West" and not the world because in fact, there's excellent evidence that our notions of…

Brook and I recently attended opening night of the new play, Buddha: A Fantastic Journey, directed by the actor John C. Reilly, written and performed by Evan Brenner. 100% of the dialogue is taken from the actual words of the Buddha (or at least a modern, English translation thereof). The play is a telling of the life story of Gautama Siddhartha from beginning to end.

It's well done, thought-provoking and inspiring. It was…