ABOUT
Yogini Mangala Anshumati is a mystic who inspires people to follow the natural way of Enlightenment. Guided by the Heart itself, this essentially methodless path of meditation reveals the connection of body, emotion, mind and Spiritual Consciousness.
Mangala Anshumati intuitively began meditating as a young girl, passionately committing her life to yoga, meditation, self-awareness and service. By the age of 15, she took the vows of a Yogini and began to study with Enlightened Masters. She remained devoted to her practice while raising three children and attaining degrees in Holistic Medicine and Psychology.
In 1986, during a year-long, solitary meditation, she experienced a powerful awakening to the ‘Unity of Life and Consciousness’ which she refers to as the ‘Samadhi of the Heart.’ After this expansive realization, and with the blessings of her spiritual preceptor, she began to offer her distinctive teaching, Hridaya Yoga or Yoga of the Heart.
As an educated woman, a mother, a healer and a westerner, she brings a unique perspective to the role traditionally filled by the eastern, male Guru. Her spontaneous talks address every facet of life—from the practical to the mystical—and explore topics often neglected by many disciplines. Her messages are authentically human, delightfully humorous and unequivocally direct, yet always full of compassion. She encourages everyone to live with Spiritual freedom, to transform relationships with love and to offer their positive gifts to the world.
Her non-profit organization, AHIMSA (Artisitic Harmlessness in Mind Speech and Action), freely promotes non-violence, harmlessness, ecology and peace in individuals, groups and the world by weaving meditation and awareness into the arts.
Mangala Anshumati continues to offer public talks, transformative retreats and in-depth classes for spiritual aspirants. The students of Hridaya Yoga are currently publishing her complete teachings from thousands of written and recorded talks.
QUOTES
“Unhappiness is not caused by a particular situation, but simply by your separation from the Spiritual Heart. Forget your Heart for an instant and you will fall into suffering. Not knowing the meaning of this misery, you will look for its cause and cure in everything outside of yourself. This external focus will only exaggerate your pain by taking you further away from yourself and setting you on a path of futile seeking. To return to happiness again, turn your attention within, cease all attempts to solve your unhappiness ‘outside yourself’ and always remember your Spiritual Heart.”
“Seeing the innate spirituality of people enables you to live in harmony with them. When you see people as personalities, you may become annoyed, disappointed or reactive. If you see people beyond their surface personality––as a unique expression of the Spiritual Self––you have a greater view, a greater tolerance and a greater love.”
“When our tendency to blame circumstances, people and other imaginary sources of pain reaches its height, and we are completely frustrated, we are finally forced to turn within. When suffering reaches its extreme, we turn upon our inner psyche to discover that the source of our pain is self-created. At this point, we are ready to learn, to inquire, to explore ourselves sincerely and become capable of self-reflection and self-transcendence. Then we determine our destiny, and create the world we wish to live in from the inside out.”
“Your Life is your Spirituality. Never divide your world in two. The one who sits on the cushion to meditate, pray or contemplate existence, is the same one who kneels to wipe the floor or gently brush a tear from a child’s face. If you make spirit your core, then it is always present, and you choose to live that spirituality in every moment. When you dedicate yourself to this vision, your life becomes unimaginably blissful.”
“Meditation is not a religious practice. It is a natural human ability, where you function from the core of your pure intelligence and awareness. Seated meditation is only a preparation for the practice of conscious living in every moment. The more you practice meditation, the more you are able to rise above the pain and suffering of life. This potential is not limited by any difference in your intelligence, personality or constitution, but simply depends upon your ability to learn to go beyond the mind.”
“When you return to your Spiritual Heart, you simply return to freedom and happiness. You rediscover the joyful feeling of existence, beyond the need to seek. You are content and at peace. You no longer push the world away; confusion and struggle are gone. You are connected to everyone and everything, and enjoy the unfolding mystery of life. Being in the sanctuary of your Heart, you are certain of your destiny, and the ‘Song of Life’ sings within you.”