Connection

The Benefits of Meditating Together
In the hustle and bustle of today’s fast-paced world, finding time to slow down and connect with your loved ones can be a challenge, especially as you go through the motions of some of the day-to-day responsibilities you tend to either individually or together. But, much like meditating on your own can bring a sense of grounding peace within. “Taking...
Art as Meditation: How Painting Landscapes Can Promote Healing
Meditation is a natural way for the body to surrender to a state of peace and relaxation. While you can get so much out of sitting on a cushion and meditating, there’s also something to be said about incorporating more active forms of meditation—such as painting landscapes—for healing.“Interests in hobbies, like landscape painting, can help people relax, feel less stressed,...
Art as Meditation: In the Flow With Watercolor
Meditation isn’t just a practice of sitting in stillness, it’s a practice of presence, focus, flow, letting go, and freedom. And, in many ways, creating art can have the same effect. From pottery to dance, there are many ways to experience art as mediation. One way to get into that meditative state in art is through painting with watercolors. “The...
Meditation on the Koshas for the Multidimensional Self
One of the incomplete views of the self that many of us have grown up with comes from an interpretation of the Cartesian maxim “I think; therefore I am.” Descartes shared that statement not to define what it means to be human but rather as a discovery of a statement that could not be refuted. Nevertheless, as a culture we...
Harnessing the Power of Ganesh to Remove Obstacles in Your Life
Salutations to the supreme Lord Ganesha, whose curved trunk and massive body shines like a million suns and showers his blessings on everyone. Oh Lord Ganesha, kindly remove all obstacles, always and forever from all my activities and endeavors. - Ganesh InvocationOf all the archetypal gods of the Vedic tradition, one above all stands as the most recognized and popular...
Using Self-Compassion to Connect with Others
Despite the power of technology to connect us with others, we live in a society of loneliness, polarization, and isolation. The social media platforms originally designed to connect us are instead driving us apart. Not to mention the global pandemic that has kept us physically distanced from our community members.Although it might appear counterintuitive, offering yourself a healthy dose of...
Harnessing the Power of the Cosmos
Pure Consciousness is the basis of all creation, constantly transforming itself from the non-local field of pure potentiality into the localized conditioned consciousness we call the material world.As Deepak Chopra tells us, spiritual energy, the energy that comes from pure consciousness, is the creative energy of the Universe. This spiritual energy pervades all aspects of life and by aligning ourselves...
Present-Moment Awareness: A Better Way to Stay in Control
Feeling in control is a critical issue in everyone's life. Most people are uncomfortable being out of control—a state that produces anxiety, uncertainty, confusion, panic, and loss of self-confidence, depending on how severe the loss of control is. Let's see what a natural way of being in control looks like.Control Starts at the Cellular LevelIf you live entirely in the...
Shiva: The Protector and Destroyer
Shiva, whose name means auspicious one in Sanskrit, is both a protector and destroyer. He can be a source of inspiration as you try to achieve a goal.
Brahma: The Archetype of Creation
Brahma, the god of creation, is usually depicted as a bearded, four-faced, four-armed deity. These four faces represent the sacred knowledge of the four Vedas: Rig, Yajur, Sama, and Atharva. The faces symbolize that Brahma is the source of all knowledge needed for the creation of the universe and the arms represent the four directions illustrating Brahma’s omnipotence.Brahma, who is...
The Shakti Goddess: A Universal Force
Shakti, also known as Parvati, Durga, or Kali, is one of the most important goddesses of the Hindu pantheon. She serves as goddess of balance, creation, and destruction.
Try the 5-Element Meditation to Embody the Sacred
When you find it difficult to escape the chaos of the world, try this five-element meditation to stay centered and at peace on a daily basis.
Ayurveda for Spiritual Well-being
Ayurveda is the traditional healing system from India that is literally translated as "the science of life." Through healthy daily practices and aligning with natural rhythms, one can prevent disease and create health on a daily basis. And although the outcome of Ayurvedic lifestyle and medical treatment is a healthy body and mind, the true aim of Ayurveda is to...
Cómo el Ayurveda Ayuda a las Relaciones
El Ayurveda es un enfoque de bienestar completo que se extiende mucho más allá de un cuerpo sano. Una vez que comprendes tu dosha, o tipo de cuerpo y mente, y las constituciones de tu ser querido, el Ayurveda puede mejorar tu relación de maneras únicas.Este artículo se publicó originalmente en inglés en noviembre de 2021.This article was originally published...
Ask Dr. Sheila: Ayurveda and the Doshas in Relationships
Every month, Dr. Sheila, Chopra’s Chief Medical Officer will be answering questions from our followers. If you have a general question for her around health and wellness, please send us an email to askdrsheila@chopra.com, and your question may be the one she answers next month. This month, Dr. Sheila answers a question about how Ayurveda can provide insights into who...
How Ayurveda Helps Relationships
Ayurveda is a complete wellness approach that extends much farther than a healthy body. Once you understand your dosha, or mind-body type, and the constitutions of your loved one, Ayurveda can improve your relationship in unique ways.Compatibility in RelationshipsIn any relationship the first issue that Ayurveda can help with is compatibility. The doshas give you a good idea about the...
How to Maintain an Ayurvedic Lifestyle While on Vacation
Summer brings with it beautiful weather, a change in daily activities and—for many people—a complete lifestyle makeover. Family reunions, summer camps, social activities, and vacations are in full swing, which can affect the time we rise and sleep, the nutritional choices we make, our exercise routine, and our schedule.Healthy habits take a long time to form, but sometimes not much...
Mental Health, Meditation, and Loving Presence: A Conversation with Gabriella Wright
Gabriella Wright appears on our video call and instantly exudes warmth and tenderness. At her home in California, wearing a white button-down, her hair loose and long, Wright settles in with a green juice and greets me just the same as the first time we spoke—with kindness, joy, and a sparkle in her eyes.It’s not because Wright hasn’t experienced hardships,...
6 Pathways to Receptivity That Can Help You Learn and Grow
Receptivity — or open-mindedness — requires more cognitive effort than dogmatism. Receptivity asks you to welcome uncertainty and information you may not align with, which isn’t always easy.Our brains generally crave certainty and routine. Certainty rewards the brain with a feeling of “everything is in order and, therefore, OK.” By contrast, the more ambiguity or uncertainty, the more the brain’s...
Awaken Your Inner Child to the Joys of Play
Why so serious?I ask myself this question at least 10 times a day. During brainstorming meetings where no braining or storming is happening, or when my tween child makes a questionable fashion choice. When traffic is rush-hour level at not rush-hour time, or something fails at the most inconvenient moment—like a flat tire during a 12-mile bike ride, which seems...
Five Reasons to Attend a Chopra Wellness Retreat
We live in a fast-paced world. Take a break and rejuvenate with our mindfulness and wellness retreats in beautiful locations.
Daily Habits and Practices for Mental Health
Our daily habits can largely influence how we feel and how we move through our lives. Our state of mind is a culmination of these daily choices, and we have the power to make small decisions every day to benefit our mental and emotional well-being.Much like we are encouraged to eat well and get regular exercise for our physical health,...
Grounding in the Garden: How Planting Seeds Promotes Healing
Have you ever taken a walk through a garden and felt an immediate sense of relief? Spending time in nature is believed to have profound mental health benefits and manmade gardens are no different. Whether it’s a rose garden, herb garden, or vegetable garden, each can bring about feelings of peace and wonder — and have a grounding energy, too.Walking...
Grow A Better Brain: Enhancing Brain Function After Age 50
It is a common cultural perception that decreased cognitive abilities come in tandem with increased age. Yet, neuroscience tells a different story. Brain research in the field of neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to change and adapt in response to new stimuli, demonstrates that memory, learning, productivity, and intelligence are adjustable factors rather than fixed points.The following practices capitalize on the...
Four Mindful Practices to Lighten Dark Winter Days
Do you love the long nights of winter, or do you dread the early sunsets? Our mindset has quite a lot to do with how much we enjoy this time of year, and trading resistance for gratitude can change everything about how we experience it. It is colder, darker, and wetter in winter, and that can be seen as a...
How Water Can Show Us Transformation: Using the Elements To Find Balance
Humans have an undeniable connection to nature and the environments around us. As the seasons change, you might notice mood changes or a craving for certain foods. Our bodies have this internal knowledge and are attuned deeply to our surroundings because we are part of them and they are a part of us.“If we consider that the human body is...
3 Holiday Gifts That Don’t Cost a Penny
Sometimes the best gifts don't come from your wallet. Discover these 3 free gift ideas for Christmas, Hanukkah, or any occasion for a meaningful gift.
Clear Your Energy and Lift Your Spirits With the Sacred Art of Smudging
The ancient ritual of burning plants to clear your energy can help you start anew. Learn about smudging using herbs like sage from Chopra today.
Loneliness Harms Your Health: Here’s How to Find Meaningful Connections
The desire for meaningful social connections is inherent in human nature. Loneliness or perceived isolation results in difficult and painful emotions that arise when a person experiences a discrepancy between her desired and actual social relationships.Loneliness is pervasive. Since 1980, the percentage of American adults older than 45 years who say they are lonely has doubled from 20 percent to...
Gemstones: 3 Stones for Energizing, Calming, and Clarity
Energy is everywhere—even when you can’t see it. Everything in existence vibrates at a subatomic level, according to quantum physics. And at its core, is energy. Voice recordings, satellites, body scans, and heat can sense energy.There is a more basic way of sensing energy without the assistance of modern technology. Thousands of years ago, before our minds were cluttered with...
Create an Outdoor Sanctuary in Your Own Backyard
From relaxing in the hammock to barbecuing or gardening, your yard becomes a sanctuary in summer. Whether you work or play outdoors, your surroundings can help foster your well-being beyond the benefits of fresh air. This summer, turn your outdoor space into an oasis of health for you and your family. The key is to balance the five elements—air, water,...
5 Ways to Unwind at the End of the Day
We live in the age of information. Status updates on social media sites beguile us. We have unfettered access to music, news, movies, and “reality” television, day and night. We are inundated with images, ideas, and responsibilities that promote an on-the-go lifestyle. While this ever-connected world has its advantages, what’s often missing is the importance of carving out time at...
Mudras for Harmonious Living: How to Practice Hand Gestures for Connection, Focus, Compassion, an...
Discover the art of practicing mudras to enhance your connection to yourself, others, and the world around you while nurturing your focus, compassion, and motivation.
How to Cultivate Deeper Connection through the Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga
Yoga is the practice of merging all the disparate aspects of our being into one, unified essence. In fact, the word yoga in Sanskrit means union. When we experience yoga we experience our true nature, which is unbounded and unchanging. We can understand the true nature of our being through the Seven Spiritual Laws, as disseminated by Deepak Chopra.The Law...
Explore and Restore: The Path of Self-Discovery and Connection
As you step into the unknown and dive deep within yourself, return to the foundations of restoration and exploration—cultivate daily mindfulness, connect with nature, embrace uncertainty, and practice self-reflection—allowing the universe to guide your way. For those of us on a journey of personal transformation, restoration and exploration are integral components of growth, allowing us to continuously learn, renew, and...
New Inspiration for Relationships
After the traumatic experience of the pandemic lockdown, people felt relief at emerging into a more normal life, but during that time relationships had seriously frayed, and domestic violence rose. The result was a questioning about what relationships would look like in the future. Instead of a return to the status quo, there is room for renewing the inspiration that...
Practicing Self-love Through Giving
"It’s the most selfish thing I’ve done in my life is give. Because of the joy that I get from it. I love it.” I’m a believer in loving yourself before you can love others. No question there. And certainly, after the past few years and challenging series of events, we could all use some extra TLC. But what if...
Fall in Love with Nature
Although much of the time we view ourselves as separate from nature and our surroundings, we are all actually part of the same wholeness. Everything you do affects the nature around you and everything that happens in nature influences you.
Use Gratitude to Cultivate Abundance Mindset
Gratitude is a universal presence that makes us aware of the preciousness of our lives, puts us in touch with the love we have for those we share it with, and reminds us that we are already whole. It is also an invitation for abundance.
What Scheduling Weekly Coffees Taught Me About Abundance
Abundance is a word I’ve always admired. Beautiful but distant to me. You see, I believed there is enough but haven’t always acted that way. And this is particularly true when it comes to time.
Aligning Your Life with Infinite Abundance
Awakening to the ever-present flow of abundance allows us to see the infinite potential and possibilities that exist at every moment of every day.
How to Repair Your Relationships
Repair is the foundation of building trust. Here are some ways to give a stellar apology and mean it.
Three Ways to Cope with Trauma and Grief
How to address trauma and navigate your healing journey.
Building Resilient Relationships
We treasure our intimate relationships for an infinite number of reasons. With our partner, we experience joy, rapture, safety, friendship, and pleasure. We create a safe haven from the outside world in which we can nourish and be nourished.When life is going smoothly for us, it’s easy to cultivate this kind of bond. However, when we’re faced with obstacles that...
El Juego, el Niño Interior y Tú
Poder jugar hace felices a los niños, pero crecer cambia esto y no para mejor. Los niños juegan, pero los adultos trabajan. Esa es la opinión predominante, como lo ha sido durante siglos, así que veamos a dónde se fue la diversión de la vida y por qué necesita regresar. Lo ideal, de hecho, es llenar de juego toda tu...
Add More Zest to Your Relationships
Relationships are a profound source of joy, support, and engagement in most people’s lives. Yet, over time, connections may fall prey to the monotony of familiar routines, busy schedules, and fixed mindsets, thus, losing their ability to bolster happiness. The good news is that with a little attention and intention, any relationship can be reinvigorated! Whether you are looking to...
Adopt the Practice of Writing Morning Pages to Boost Creativity
In a culture that has commodified the fruits of creativity to the degree that ours has, it can be easy for us to feel cut off from our inherent creative energy if we are not producing something tangible. In reality, creativity is not a special stream that only some of us can tap into and enjoy. By the very virtue...
Play, the Inner Child, and You
Being allowed to play makes children happy, but growing up changes this and not for the better. Children play, but adults work. That’s the prevailing view, as it has been for centuries, so let’s see where the playfulness of life went and why it needs to come back. The ideal, in fact, is to infuse your whole life with play,...
Consejos Para Una Carrera Dichosa
Si suena extraño emparejar las dos palabras "dicha" y "carrera", la razón es clara: en la vida moderna, la satisfacción personal no es una alta prioridad cuando se trata del ámbito laboral. Los encuestadores reportan que a la mayoría de las personas les gusta su trabajo, pero eso no es decir mucho. Por lo general, una semana laboral moderna consiste...
Tips for a Blissful Career
If it sounds strange to pair the two words “blissful” and “career,” the reason is easy to find: In modern life personal satisfaction is not a high priority when it comes to the workplace. Pollsters find that most people like their jobs, but that doesn’t place the bar high. Typically, a modern work week consists of long hours, taking work...
Endings: A Spiritual Birthplace
The car is driving away. The phone call has been terminated. Your moving van is packed. You are boarding the plane. You are holding your grandmother’s hands and telling her how she has impacted you because you know this is the last time you will be able to look into her eyes. You are rubbing your cat’s chin for the...
How to Be Flexible and Supportive on the Spiritual Path
So often, spiritual journeys feel like solo ones. Whether we’re wrestling with our dark night of the soul or finally feeling the liberation of our loving, awakening heart, these are experiences that belong to our own consciousness, our own awareness. Yet the wisest and most nourishing spiritual practices also encourage us to experience our interconnectedness with others. We are individuals,...
The Benefits of Therapy
Being a therapist is as much about being present in your own personal work as it is about assisting your clients in their healing.
A Therapist’s Confessions: A New Consideration On Your Healing Journey
I have heard it all. “Isn’t that what friends are for?”, “Why would I pay someone to listen to me complain?” “What good is it going to do to dig up the past? I’m fine.” And my personal favorite, “(insert coping skill here): it’s cheaper than therapy!” Yup. I am a therapist. And these are some of the common themes...
The Surprising Secret to Better Relationships
If you are connected to the outside world, which I think most of us are, then you are probably being inundated with messages about goal setting, new year’s resolutions, and the “new you”. Well, nothing against goal setting or intention creation, but what if instead of the “new you” it became about the “new us?”In my work as a therapist,...
How to Make New Friends and Find Your Community
At varying times in your life, you may need different people and communities to feel connected and supported. Making new friends – at any age – can be daunting and overwhelming.Self-reflection is one way to explore your intentions in friendship and community. For some, keeping one or two deep friendships is most nurturing and, for others, a wider social circle...
10 Unconventional Ways to Practice Gratitude
Maintaining a daily gratitude practice is perhaps the fastest, easiest, and cheapest means of cultivating happiness. But what happens when you feel a little burned out from the same old gratitude journaling? Or, what if you’ve never practiced gratitude? Where to begin?If this sounds like you, here are 10 unique ways to reignite joy and contentment in your life.1. Three...
How to Incorporate Self-Love and Mindfulness in Your Dating Life
“If you love love, look for yourself.” - RumiLike Rumi centuries before us, we love love. However, unlike the Sufi mystic, we don’t always look for it in the right places. There are 270 million active dating app profiles: a digital testament to our collective longing for love and connection. We search, swipe, and wonder when we’ll find the partner...
Warming Up with Secure Attachment: How to Feel the Love in Any Situation
When is the last time you felt that warm, gooey, love feeling? You know the one. It gives you tingles all over, maybe you feel some water in your eyes, or maybe it just feels like your heart is going to explode.For some of us, the holidays are a time when we get to experience this lovey, gooey feeling in...
Want to Build Deeper Connections? Start with Yourself First
Humans are wired to connect. That’s because, at one time, our cooperation with each other enhanced our ability to survive under the harshest of conditions. Although survival threats are far less today, people still desire and need connection.Research shows that social connection not only improves physical health, but also mental and emotional well-being. Everyone wants to feel like they are...
Resting in the Self
With all the stressors and issues in your life it can be difficult to give yourself permission to relax. Follow our simple relaxation tips to find peace in the self.
How to Nurture Connections Through Compassion
It often feels like things have never been more divisive. That’s why it’s important to nurture connections and focus on being compassionate to those in your life.
10 Signs of Spiritual Enlightenment & Awakening
Experiencing a spiritual awakening and overall spiritual enlightenment can be a long process. Here are ten signs you're experiencing spiritual awareness and the meaning behind it all.
21 Simple Ways to Be Kind
Join the Born This Way Foundation and Chopra Global as we pledge to #BeKind21.https://twitter.com/BTWFoundation/status/1299015128445263872?s=20Together with Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation, we have pledged to make kindness a habit every day from September 1st to September 21st. Below is a short list of suggested practices you can do with us to be kind during a time when our country and...
7 Ways to Cultivate Charisma
Charisma is a quality we would all like more of and yet have a difficult time defining.Often described as that “something special,” the “x-factor,” or even simply having “it,” we can typically point to charisma when we see it but find it challenging to put into words. Charismatic people are certainly likable but their influence runs much deeper. Often described...
5 Tips for Improving Your Listening in a Relationship
One of the most important components to a healthy and lasting relationship lies in your ability to communicate within intimate relationships. When communication is lacking or where there’s a breakdown in the lines, your ability to connect with your partner wanes, and you can begin to feel frustrated, anxious, and alone. If this is happening in your current relationship, it...
How to Stand Up for Yourself
Find your confidence so you can stand up for yourself. It requires the courage to know and follow your own truth, while also staying transparent, authentic, and open.
3 Ways to Cultivate Emotionally and Socially Intelligent Kids
What impacts your child’s behavior, learning, relationships, and the ability to focus? It turns out emotions play a very large role.When we’re stressed, anxious, or triggered, our brain and nervous system react immediately. Our amygdala sounds the alarm as our brains go into a psychological state of flight, fight, or freeze.The ability to think, reason, and make rational decisions decreases....
Mindful Parenting: How to Raise Kind and Conscious Kids
Your alarm didn't go off so you rush around getting all the kids up and dressed and packing their lunches. You get to your car and notice that there's ice on the windows, which means you will need time to scrape it off. Your son drops his book bag into the snow and his lunch and books tumble out. He...
Instruction Manual: How to Use Your Inner GPS
You get in your car and punch a destination into the vehicle’s GPS. A pathway appears with explicit directions on how to get from where you’re sitting to where you’d like to arrive. Your only job is to follow the arrows. The GPS will even adjust its route if you go off-course. As long as you know your final destination,...
No Drama Holiday: 10 Tips for Avoiding Emotional Family Traps
The holidays are meant to be a happy season—a time when family and friends come together to celebrate and reflect on the year.For many people, however, the holidays can spark feelings of anxiety, disenchantment, and even dread. Instead of relishing time with family, the season reminds them of unhappy memories, financial obligations, run-ins with dysfunctional relatives, and old family traditions...
2 Positive Ways to Fuel Your Competitive Fire
Life often seems like one big competition. It starts young. As children we compare ourselves to siblings, classmates, and friends. As we grow older it gets worse. We see images in the media of flawless celebrities with red carpet wardrobes; we notice neighbors with fancy cars. It’s hard not to compare yourself to those around you and want the same...
7 Benefits of a Daily Affirmation Plan
Stay positive and grateful, even after you manifest the things you want. Find out more about the benefits of positive morning affirmations in your daily life.
A Woman’s Journey to Wholeness
Understanding what women want, a question that Freud once asked in abject frustration, is a path to an authentic relationship with yourself and others. One of my most popular books, A Woman’s Book of Life, addresses this very question. It discusses how women grow and change in seven-year cycles throughout their lifespan—and what to expect when they are changing.Knowing and...
Friend Yourself: Social Media and Your Personal Growth
There are more tools than ever to help you when it comes to personal growth. Consider social media: Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram all connect people instantly. Sometimes the conversation is intimate, as when you reach out to a close friend. Sometimes it’s a global conversation.There’s tremendous untapped potential here. You can literally participate in a worldwide nervous system without leaving...
7 Steps for Dealing With Difficult People
Don't let a difficult person get you down. These tips and books on dealing with difficult family members will help you rise above and find compassion in difficulties.
How to Address a Family Member’s Addiction
Family relationships can be challenging at the best of times—sibling rivalries, power struggles, and unresolved jealousies are common issues that can arise. At this chaotic time of year, fragile relationships can become even more strained. Details like who is hosting the holiday dinner, which relatives are going where, and how to afford gifts can all create stress.If substance abuse is...
7 Ways to Raise Your Positivity IQ
Negativity is everywhere. Without even realizing it’s happening, negativity can bring you down, drain your energy, slow down your productivity, and hinder your creative process. It can even lead to illness.Negativity can also become a habit. Humans love their routines and most people don’t stop to think about where their habits came from or if they are healthy habits. This...
Honoring the Divine in You
Explore the science and mythology of archetypes—powerful energies within literature, history, mythology, and religion that personify our core identities.
How to Break Out of a Rut
In every moment of our existence, we have access to an infinity of choices. As a result of conditioning, however, most of us tend to act in predictable, repetitious ways. The process is like driving a car down the same dirt road many times. Over time, the wheels carve out ruts in the dirt and the car automatically follows the...
The 5 Secrets of Joyful Giving
Deepak Chopra’s bestselling book The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success is a guide to the universal laws that govern every creative process – from the birth of a baby to the development of a new business. The second of the seven laws is the Law of Giving and Receiving, which states:The universe operates through constant and dynamic exchange . ....