A quick update that early registration is now open for Thom's upcoming annual retreat in Sedona, Arizona, this Memorial Day weekend from May 22nd to 26.

This is Thom's first retreat in the United States since the epic Maha Kumbha Mela held earlier this year in Prayagraj, India, so Thom has many fascinating new stories to share. The Sedona Rounding Retreat is also your opportunity to gift yourself profound rest and industrial-strength meditation through the daily rounding program.

This is your chance to transcend uncertainty in the ever-changing world and celebrate spring surrounded by nature, supported by community, and immersed in wisdom with Thom. Early registration discounts expire on March 17th, and you can find out more at thomknoles.com/sedona.

Jai Guru Deva.

If you enjoy Thom's podcast, then we know you'd love spending quality time with Thom on his retreats in Sedona, Arizona, Gerringong, Australia, and Rishikesh, India. We wanted to give you a sample of what the retreat experience was like, so in this episode, we are sharing just a small portion of Thom's recent retreat in India.

As you'll hear, the atmosphere is intimate yet jovial and the Q&A sessions are engaging and interactive. On retreats, you get to explore subjects that might not normally be covered on the podcast, and you certainly get to hear stories from Thom that you wouldn't hear anywhere else.

Subjects covered in this snippet include, how to mend a broken heart, whether or not it’s ok to be “guru resistant,” the significance of the moon from the Vedic perspective, and the phenomena of “lunacy.”

We'd love to have you join us at one of Thom's upcoming retreats, so please sit back and enjoy this taste test of the retreat experience, then find out how you can join us in person at thomknoles.com/retreats. That's thomknoles.com/retreats.

PS: If you’d like to watch this episode on video, you can do so on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/nZhFM1UgFIc

Episode Highlights
[00:45] A Retreat Taste Test

[01:35] Q - How Can We Mend a Broken Heart?

[04:21] Something Good is Happening

[07:59] What’s the Vedic Worldview on Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)?

[08:14] Ayurveda Has the Answers

[10:34] Q - Is it OK to be Guru Resistant?

[10:56] Scepticism vs Cynicism

[13:19] Beyond Reasonable Doubt

[16:11] Q - What is the Significance of the Moon in the Vedic Worldview?

[16:42] The Role of Mythos

[18:37] A Big Asteroid with Remarkable Qualities

[21:39] Surya Deva

[24:32] A Tremendous Amount of Prestige

[26:22] The Floodgates of Soma Are Open

[29:55] Soma Chandrah Namah

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A quick update that early registration is now open for Thom's upcoming annual retreat in Sedona, Arizona, this Memorial Day weekend from May 22nd to 26.

This is Thom's first retreat in the United States since the epic Maha Kumbha Mela held earlier this year in Prayagraj, India, so Thom has many fascinating new stories to share. The Sedona Rounding Retreat is also your opportunity to gift yourself profound rest and industrial-strength meditation through the daily rounding program.

This is your chance to transcend uncertainty in the ever-changing world and celebrate spring surrounded by nature, supported by community, and immersed in wisdom with Thom. Early registration discounts expire on March 17th, and you can find out more at thomknoles.com/sedona.

Jai Guru Deva.

Outside of India, the word yoga has come to mean various forms of dynamic exercises that test your flexibility and strength. Yoga is in fact much more than just these physical exercises, which are more correctly referred to as asanas.

And believe it or not, asanas weren’t created to make us look good in lycra! Asanas were first created to help prepare the body for meditation and union with The Absolute.

In this episode, Thom explains how asanas, pranayama and Vedic Meditation are used in combination, also called ‘Rounding,’ to give us ‘industrial-strength meditation’ and to accelerate the benefits we get from ‘standard’ meditation.

He talks about the importance of proper instruction and supervision so we can truly let go and, if necessary, have the support we need if deep stresses are released.

You can learn and practice Rounding at Thom’s annual retreats in Sedona, Arizona, and Gerringong, Australia. To find out more visit the retreats page on our website. https://thomknoles.com/vedic-meditation-retreats/.

Timestamps:

[00:45] Asana, Pranayama, Vedic Meditation

[02:49] Releasing Stress

[04:18] Proper Instruction Needed

[06:24] Industrial-Strength Meditation

[08:02] Don’t Try This at Home

[10:25] Heightened Consciousness States

[11:43] The Going-Home Program

A quick update that early registration is now open for Thom's upcoming annual retreat in Sedona, Arizona, this Memorial Day weekend from May 22nd to 26.

This is Thom's first retreat in the United States since the epic Maha Kumbha Mela held earlier this year in Prayagraj, India, so Thom has many fascinating new stories to share. The Sedona Rounding Retreat is also your opportunity to gift yourself profound rest and industrial-strength meditation through the daily rounding program.

This is your chance to transcend uncertainty in the ever-changing world and celebrate spring surrounded by nature, supported by community, and immersed in wisdom with Thom. Early registration discounts expire on March 17th, and you can find out more at thomknoles.com/sedona.

Jai Guru Deva.

Twentieth-century science made a groundbreaking discovery: the Unified Field. This concept revolutionized physics, prompting scientists to reconsider the completeness of the Newtonian understanding of the universe.

However, the Unified Field wasn't a new concept. Vedic Rishis and scholars have understood its existence for thousands of years, referring to it as "the field of Being."

In this episode, Thom explores the Vedic perspective on this Unified Field of Consciousness and how it applies to our daily lives.

Episode Highlights

• [00:45] Sankhya - The Cosmic Story Line
• [04:21] Is-ness, Am-ness, I-ness, My-ness
• [06:45] The 25 Qualities of the Unified Field of Consciousness
• [08:54] Breaking of Symmetry
• [13:09] Sequential Elaboration
• [17:45] Dharma - What is the Most Relevant Thing for You to Be?
• [21:07] Refreshing Our Relevance Through Vedic Meditation
• [24:27] Removing Identities of the Past
• [27:03] Not Just Any Meditation

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While there’s no shortage of external critics ready to judge us on any given day, none can match the relentless voice of our own inner critic. Always prepared with an arsenal of “evidence” to justify its stance, this inner voice excels at “keeping us in our place,” often at the expense of our confidence and growth.

This poses a significant problem: countless human potential is squandered through self-diminishing inner dialogue.

In this episode, Thom sheds light on the nature of the inner critic, revealing that it’s far from a new phenomenon. He explains how it can be effectively overcome using a simple yet powerful technique—one that unlocks a wide range of transformative benefits.

Episode Highlights

[00:45] The Prosecutor and the Advocate

[03:53] The Discriminating Force

[06:02] Evolution of the Ego

[09:37] Biased Intellect

[12:41] Breaking the Cycle with Vedic Meditation

[15:24] I Am Totality

[18:41] A Schism Begins

[20:58] The Prosecutorial Intellect Capitulates: Self-Doubt Disappears

[23:48] It Takes a Thorn to Remove a Thorn

[28:12] Bring It On!

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Discipline is often hailed as the key to solving life’s challenges. We’re told that with enough discipline, we can change our habits, endure hardships, stay focused, and achieve our goals.

But can discipline sometimes backfire? Is it possible to become so rigid in our approach that we miss valuable opportunities or even create more problems than we solve?

In this episode, Thom introduces the concept of the “ultimate discipline.” He explains how this approach ensures we maintain the structure and focus we need while remaining flexible enough to adapt to the ever-changing demands of life.

Episode Highlights

• [00:45] Formulae for Self-Improvement
• [03:49] The Evolutionary Storyline
• [07:37] Forgetting to Think
• [10:51] Vedic Meditation - The Ultimate Discipline
• [12:54] A Non-Negotiable Phenomenon
• [15:09] Control States
• [18:37] Stop What You’re Doing
• [21:31] Become an Invincible Human Being with a Fabulous Storyline

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Unlike rules-based teachings prevalent in both modern and ancient texts, Vedic teachings are renowned for not prescribing commandments or rigid “rules.” Instead, Veda offer timeless wisdom through lessons that we can interpret and apply according to our level of consciousness.

One of the core Vedic teachings, The Mahabharata, contains a specific set of chapters known as the Bhagavad Gita — the Song of God. Within these chapters lies a profound teaching distilled into just five words that, if fully understood and implemented, have the power to end our suffering.

In English, these words are: “Established in Being, perform action.”

In this episode, Thom unpacks the meaning and transformative impact of this teaching. He also shares the technique that enables all of us to integrate this wisdom into our daily lives.

If you’d like to dive deeper into the Bhagavad Gita, we invite you to take a look at Thom’s Exploring the Bhagavad Gita series of courses.

These engaging and lively courses examine how the ancient and profound lessons of the Bhagavad Gita can be applied to modern life.

You can find out more at https://thomknoles.com/bhagavad-gita/,

Episode Highlights

[00:45] The God Song

[03:34] Mahabharata

[05:29] Pandavas and Kauravas

[08:12] Krishna’s Choice: Army or Advisor/Charioteer?

[09:47] Arjuna’s Dilemma

[13:09] Go Beyond All Relativity, Perform Action

[16:29] How to Solve All Problems

[19:11] Brahman Saṃsparsash: The Kiss of Totality

[22:12] The Universe Having a Human Experience

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We often find ourselves unsettled by the words of others—criticism, manipulation, and verbal abuse are just a few examples of communication that can feel hurtful. But does it have to be this way?

In this Q&A episode, Thom explains with clarity who truly holds responsibility for the hurt caused by critical or unkind words. The best part? By following his recommendations, you can free yourself from ever being at the mercy of someone else’s words again.

Episode Highlights

[00:45] Q - How do we positively handle criticism?

[00:50] A - Your Critics Are Your Best Friends

[02:54] Thank You

[05:50] Q - How should we respond to criticism when it’s harsh?

[05:56] A - With Compassion and Gratitude

[09:13] We Want to Find the Gold

[10:39] Q - What’s the best way to handle manipulation or manipulative behaviors?

[10:45] A - Manipulative Behavior Requires a Reward

[13:44] A Suffering Competition

[16:32] The Greatest Crime Against Nature

[17:59] Q - Can you share any strategies for responding to verbal abuse?

[18:03] A - Just a Noise

[20:02] A - They Must Be Suffering

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Sanskrit is a beautiful language that captures subtle distinctions that English and other modern languages often cannot.

Take the word “love,” for example. In English, this word spans a wide net of emotions and feelings. For example, love can describe feelings a parent has for their child, as well as the fondness someone might feel for a football team or a favorite brand of chocolate.

In this week’s podcast episode, Thom explores the distinction between two Sanskrit words often translated as "love"—kama and prema—and reveals their unique and separate meanings.

Episode Highlights

[00:45] Puruṣārtha

[03:59] Kama

[04:35] Pleasure Experienced Through the Senses

[07:19] Prema

[09:58] Love is So Ill-Defined

[12:35] Vedanta

[15:02] Prema and Kama: A Dynamite Package

[18:05] The Crest Jewel of Discrimination

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